Raja Qaiser Ahmed | Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan (original) (raw)

Papers by Raja Qaiser Ahmed

Space Security, 2023

China's rise as a global power and its pursuit of space technologies have increased India's insec... more China's rise as a global power and its pursuit of space technologies have increased India's insecurity. To address the challenge of China (and benefit from the technological revolution), India has invested heavily in the space sector. Its space program benefits from indigenous innovations and international cooperation. However, its military achievements in the space domain have aggravated Pakistan's sense of insecurity. Pakistan's financial and technological limitations have forced it to look toward China to mitigate the Indian threat and maintain the balance of power in South Asia. In addition to great power competition in the region, these perceptions of security and insecurity and states' efforts to maximize their security are likely to exacerbate competition and negatively affect the prospects of mediation.

Palgrave Macmillan Press, 2023

Asian Journal of Social Science

Pakistan is also one of the postcolonial multilingual, multicultural, and multireligious states. ... more Pakistan is also one of the postcolonial multilingual, multicultural, and multireligious states. Different cultural collectivities struggle for the preservation of their social identity and procurement of their fair share in the economic and political resources of the state. Numbers provide these ethnic groups the knowledge about their own strength relative to other ethnic groups and accordingly make demands. In Pakistan decennial census is conducted to know the exact number and nature of its demography and accordingly make policies. Pakistan since 1947 till date has conducted six censuses in total and all are mired in controversy concerning the counting of competing ethnicities. This article using case study method and taking 2017's census as a case investigates the fundamental question that why the state of Pakistan keeps an uncertainty around the numbers and why the competing ethnic groups never trust the process of counting numbers and calls it a manipulated process?

Asian Politics & Policy, Apr 21, 2022

The rise of a new political lexicon-indirectly referring to the military's interference in politi... more The rise of a new political lexicon-indirectly referring to the military's interference in political affairs-in Pakistan's civil-military relations (2013-2018) is a recent development. It marked the beginning of a transitionary phase in the country's political culture and provided an alternative medium for political dissent. It helped strike a balance between outright confrontation and complete conformism by civilian forces in the political spectrum. The consequent formation was tactical deference on the part of civilian authorities to voice dissent. This mode of dissent became prevalent in the statements of the party leaders. It is a pioneering step toward a more inclusive and open society in the country. This study explores how did the new political lexicon impact the state and society in Pakistan. This article covers a five-year period from 2013 to 2018.

Delhi Business Review, 2012

Exploratory research methodology has been followed along with the qualitative data analysis. On h... more Exploratory research methodology has been followed along with the qualitative data analysis. On hand literature on Indian Middle Class has been carefully examined and over the case study interviews and primary introspection has been made. Findings: The Indian boom of economic prosperity due to liberalized economy has resulted in a strong educated Middle Class which yearns for its stature in political sphere. The movement of Anna Hazare serves as a vantage point for Indian middle class to forcefully assert itself. Research Limitations/Implications: The study is significant rather appurtenant because of the increasing significance of India in global sphere. This paper would aim at exploring the societal dynamism associated with the state and polity in India. Originality/Value: 19% similarity Index and all that has been cited has footnotes and bibliography.

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Pakistan was a seceding state from the Federation of India-its very existence being contrary to t... more Pakistan was a seceding state from the Federation of India-its very existence being contrary to the logic and nature of the inclusive banner of Indian nationalism, led and promulgated by the Indian National Congress (INC). 1 The creation of Pakistan was a big blow to the Congressional elite and long-effected the contours of Congress's foreign policy towards Pakistan. The anti-Congress elite in the form of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also insinuates the very same sentiment. The leaders like Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, who were born before partition, had a very stringent view of Pakistan considering the ideological nuance. The leaders born after partition, like Modi, also hold a strict view but one that is more embedded in statecraft and niceties of nation-state paradigm where India and Pakistan are considered arch-rivals. The cognitive disposition of 'One India', a belief that the Congress always upheld and promoted as political rhetoric, came under question in the aftermath of partition, and other conceptions like composite culture and Akhand Bharat lost their substantive capital. This was a setback given that Congress was a powerful political institution in India. 2 The creation of Pakistan was triggered by the obstinate and nonaccommodative behaviour displayed by the Indian National Congress, which impelled Muslims to cogitate over having a country of their own. The Congress never tried to measure up the differences between Hindus 1 Ayesha Jalal in her book The State of Martial Rule (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990) claims that Pakistan was the result of a secession from Indian federation.

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Mumbai attacks were a series of attacks that took place on 26 November 2008, in Mumbai, over a pe... more Mumbai attacks were a series of attacks that took place on 26 November 2008, in Mumbai, over a period of 60 hours, claiming the lives of 164 people. 1 The Indian government alleged the involvement of Pakistani militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba with the complicity of the ISI. This tragedy cast a dark shadow over India-Pakistan relations that is yet to retreat, reversing the cooperation and confidence which both the countries had developed since 2004. The destinations selected for attack were significant: Taj Hotel and Hotel Oberoi host many foreign residents so an attack on these targets fetched worldwide attention. The attacks were properly planned; according to reports, the terrorists came by sea and were well organized and equipped to orchestrate the attacks with precision. The onslaught lasted for four days and paralysed Mumbai. 2 The first and instantaneous reaction to the Mumbai attacks was the resignation of the home minister Shivraj Patil. The Congress demanded an immediate inquiry into the Mumbai attacks and for the perpetrators to be handed over to India. 3 India also blamed Pakistan for using terrorists as instruments of state policy. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-led

Delhi Business Review, Dec 12, 2014

THE purpose of the research is to trace the altering patterns of political activism in India. Ris... more THE purpose of the research is to trace the altering patterns of political activism in India. Rise of Middle Class and its impact on the political order of India has been attempted to be explored. Design/Methodology/Approach: Qualitative data analysis has been applied with an exhaustive literature survey of books, articles, conference papers, and newspaper reports on the said topic. Findings: The disparities among Indian Middle Class are giving a continuous roam to the political actors to assert themselves. Aam Admi Party is the representation of Indian Middle Class's disgruntlement at large in an elite dominated framework of Indian political frame of rule. Research Limitations/Implications: Research will be a good help and a useful study for the students of politics, economics, and management sciences as the subject of the research is interdisciplinary. Originality/Value: Paper glimpses at the thematic overview of the Indian electoral trends, and also encompasses the most recent scenario of Indian elections.

The article focuses on India's emerging trajectory of foreign policy under Narendra Modi'... more The article focuses on India's emerging trajectory of foreign policy under Narendra Modi's premiership and its moves to evolve closer relations with the eastern economic powers, especially Australia and Japan and its implications for Pakistan. India and Pakistan, the immediate neighbours, are locked into an incessant rivalry since their inception. The change of political rule or a policy schema in either country brings profound implications for the regional competitive environment. This paper seeks to identify the patterns and processes which are likely to be altered in Indian Foreign Policy under Modi and possible responses from Pakistan. The theoretical conception of cognitive interconnectedness of ideas and actions has been used to explain this new trend in the Indian foreign policy.

This paper attempts to unleash the structural components which differed in changing the frame of ... more This paper attempts to unleash the structural components which differed in changing the frame of rule of the states that came into the map of the world on exactly the same day named India and Pakistan. Having shared values, culture, colonial experience, same structure India managed to procure a robust democracy while in Pakistan democracy is still perceived as a mean of conducting procedural balloting. India secured functional institutions while in Pakistan still the coordination of powers among the institutions is missing. The paper attempts to strategize the solutions of the predicaments which the state of Pakistan is facing in the light of India’s experiences. It highlights the different loopholes of democratic rule in Pakistan that remained unsettled at its inception. The paper in detail examines the state and polity of both states in post –independence era and tries to trace out the factors that enable India in procuring a substantive frame of governance. The lessons and preced...

Federalismo en Pakistán: desafíos fiscales y el camino a seguir

Asian Journal of Social Science, 2021

The study undertakes the structural transformation in the postcolonial states with reference to P... more The study undertakes the structural transformation in the postcolonial states with reference to Pakistan. It attempts to dissect the process of decay given the pretext of the colonial past and the institutional legacies. This interplay has led to the hybridity in political and institutional structures which have resultantly plagued the governance and state structure in Pakistan. This study attempts to underscore the nuances and underpinnings which led to the decay and deterioration in Pakistan. It further explicates the trends in postcolonial politics, institutional modus-operandi and failure of indigenization in societal norms and values consequently impacting state and society in Pakistan.

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2022

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

International Area Studies Review, 2021

The research undertakes the structural transformation of India by the ideology of Hindutva embodi... more The research undertakes the structural transformation of India by the ideology of Hindutva embodied by the contemporary government of the Bhartiya Janata Party. This study is a first of its kind as it attempts to decipher the genesis of this metamorphosis from a psychoanalytical perspective. India has been accredited as a stalwart of democracy and an uploader of an inclusive multicultural and multireligious society. The interplay of Hindu nationalist elements and reinvigoration of past experiences supplemented by historical myths and present ontological insecurities has consequently plagued the secular fabric of India. The study further explicates all the undercurrents and nuances that underscore the ideology of Hindutva, the proselytized culture of victimization and indigenization in society resultantly impacting the society and relations of state in the region.

International Area Studies Review, 2021

This study investigates the changing political trends in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal ... more This study investigates the changing political trends in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Analysis of the last three elections (2008, 2013, 2018) shows a substantial change in the region. The tribal structure, local traditions, power arrangement and electoral practices have changed significantly over a decade. The extension of the Political Parties Order to the region and its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stimulated political activities in the area that increased the political awareness of tribal people. The results of the 2013 and 2018 elections highlight the changes. Electoral activities, women participation and voter turnout increased with every election. Tribal youth joined existing political forums to demand their democratic rights. A significant percentage of the young, educated Pashtuns joined the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement in its demand for improved governance.

Space Security, 2023

China's rise as a global power and its pursuit of space technologies have increased India's insec... more China's rise as a global power and its pursuit of space technologies have increased India's insecurity. To address the challenge of China (and benefit from the technological revolution), India has invested heavily in the space sector. Its space program benefits from indigenous innovations and international cooperation. However, its military achievements in the space domain have aggravated Pakistan's sense of insecurity. Pakistan's financial and technological limitations have forced it to look toward China to mitigate the Indian threat and maintain the balance of power in South Asia. In addition to great power competition in the region, these perceptions of security and insecurity and states' efforts to maximize their security are likely to exacerbate competition and negatively affect the prospects of mediation.

Palgrave Macmillan Press, 2023

Asian Journal of Social Science

Pakistan is also one of the postcolonial multilingual, multicultural, and multireligious states. ... more Pakistan is also one of the postcolonial multilingual, multicultural, and multireligious states. Different cultural collectivities struggle for the preservation of their social identity and procurement of their fair share in the economic and political resources of the state. Numbers provide these ethnic groups the knowledge about their own strength relative to other ethnic groups and accordingly make demands. In Pakistan decennial census is conducted to know the exact number and nature of its demography and accordingly make policies. Pakistan since 1947 till date has conducted six censuses in total and all are mired in controversy concerning the counting of competing ethnicities. This article using case study method and taking 2017's census as a case investigates the fundamental question that why the state of Pakistan keeps an uncertainty around the numbers and why the competing ethnic groups never trust the process of counting numbers and calls it a manipulated process?

Asian Politics & Policy, Apr 21, 2022

The rise of a new political lexicon-indirectly referring to the military's interference in politi... more The rise of a new political lexicon-indirectly referring to the military's interference in political affairs-in Pakistan's civil-military relations (2013-2018) is a recent development. It marked the beginning of a transitionary phase in the country's political culture and provided an alternative medium for political dissent. It helped strike a balance between outright confrontation and complete conformism by civilian forces in the political spectrum. The consequent formation was tactical deference on the part of civilian authorities to voice dissent. This mode of dissent became prevalent in the statements of the party leaders. It is a pioneering step toward a more inclusive and open society in the country. This study explores how did the new political lexicon impact the state and society in Pakistan. This article covers a five-year period from 2013 to 2018.

Delhi Business Review, 2012

Exploratory research methodology has been followed along with the qualitative data analysis. On h... more Exploratory research methodology has been followed along with the qualitative data analysis. On hand literature on Indian Middle Class has been carefully examined and over the case study interviews and primary introspection has been made. Findings: The Indian boom of economic prosperity due to liberalized economy has resulted in a strong educated Middle Class which yearns for its stature in political sphere. The movement of Anna Hazare serves as a vantage point for Indian middle class to forcefully assert itself. Research Limitations/Implications: The study is significant rather appurtenant because of the increasing significance of India in global sphere. This paper would aim at exploring the societal dynamism associated with the state and polity in India. Originality/Value: 19% similarity Index and all that has been cited has footnotes and bibliography.

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Pakistan was a seceding state from the Federation of India-its very existence being contrary to t... more Pakistan was a seceding state from the Federation of India-its very existence being contrary to the logic and nature of the inclusive banner of Indian nationalism, led and promulgated by the Indian National Congress (INC). 1 The creation of Pakistan was a big blow to the Congressional elite and long-effected the contours of Congress's foreign policy towards Pakistan. The anti-Congress elite in the form of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also insinuates the very same sentiment. The leaders like Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, who were born before partition, had a very stringent view of Pakistan considering the ideological nuance. The leaders born after partition, like Modi, also hold a strict view but one that is more embedded in statecraft and niceties of nation-state paradigm where India and Pakistan are considered arch-rivals. The cognitive disposition of 'One India', a belief that the Congress always upheld and promoted as political rhetoric, came under question in the aftermath of partition, and other conceptions like composite culture and Akhand Bharat lost their substantive capital. This was a setback given that Congress was a powerful political institution in India. 2 The creation of Pakistan was triggered by the obstinate and nonaccommodative behaviour displayed by the Indian National Congress, which impelled Muslims to cogitate over having a country of their own. The Congress never tried to measure up the differences between Hindus 1 Ayesha Jalal in her book The State of Martial Rule (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990) claims that Pakistan was the result of a secession from Indian federation.

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Mumbai attacks were a series of attacks that took place on 26 November 2008, in Mumbai, over a pe... more Mumbai attacks were a series of attacks that took place on 26 November 2008, in Mumbai, over a period of 60 hours, claiming the lives of 164 people. 1 The Indian government alleged the involvement of Pakistani militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba with the complicity of the ISI. This tragedy cast a dark shadow over India-Pakistan relations that is yet to retreat, reversing the cooperation and confidence which both the countries had developed since 2004. The destinations selected for attack were significant: Taj Hotel and Hotel Oberoi host many foreign residents so an attack on these targets fetched worldwide attention. The attacks were properly planned; according to reports, the terrorists came by sea and were well organized and equipped to orchestrate the attacks with precision. The onslaught lasted for four days and paralysed Mumbai. 2 The first and instantaneous reaction to the Mumbai attacks was the resignation of the home minister Shivraj Patil. The Congress demanded an immediate inquiry into the Mumbai attacks and for the perpetrators to be handed over to India. 3 India also blamed Pakistan for using terrorists as instruments of state policy. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-led

Delhi Business Review, Dec 12, 2014

THE purpose of the research is to trace the altering patterns of political activism in India. Ris... more THE purpose of the research is to trace the altering patterns of political activism in India. Rise of Middle Class and its impact on the political order of India has been attempted to be explored. Design/Methodology/Approach: Qualitative data analysis has been applied with an exhaustive literature survey of books, articles, conference papers, and newspaper reports on the said topic. Findings: The disparities among Indian Middle Class are giving a continuous roam to the political actors to assert themselves. Aam Admi Party is the representation of Indian Middle Class's disgruntlement at large in an elite dominated framework of Indian political frame of rule. Research Limitations/Implications: Research will be a good help and a useful study for the students of politics, economics, and management sciences as the subject of the research is interdisciplinary. Originality/Value: Paper glimpses at the thematic overview of the Indian electoral trends, and also encompasses the most recent scenario of Indian elections.

The article focuses on India's emerging trajectory of foreign policy under Narendra Modi'... more The article focuses on India's emerging trajectory of foreign policy under Narendra Modi's premiership and its moves to evolve closer relations with the eastern economic powers, especially Australia and Japan and its implications for Pakistan. India and Pakistan, the immediate neighbours, are locked into an incessant rivalry since their inception. The change of political rule or a policy schema in either country brings profound implications for the regional competitive environment. This paper seeks to identify the patterns and processes which are likely to be altered in Indian Foreign Policy under Modi and possible responses from Pakistan. The theoretical conception of cognitive interconnectedness of ideas and actions has been used to explain this new trend in the Indian foreign policy.

This paper attempts to unleash the structural components which differed in changing the frame of ... more This paper attempts to unleash the structural components which differed in changing the frame of rule of the states that came into the map of the world on exactly the same day named India and Pakistan. Having shared values, culture, colonial experience, same structure India managed to procure a robust democracy while in Pakistan democracy is still perceived as a mean of conducting procedural balloting. India secured functional institutions while in Pakistan still the coordination of powers among the institutions is missing. The paper attempts to strategize the solutions of the predicaments which the state of Pakistan is facing in the light of India’s experiences. It highlights the different loopholes of democratic rule in Pakistan that remained unsettled at its inception. The paper in detail examines the state and polity of both states in post –independence era and tries to trace out the factors that enable India in procuring a substantive frame of governance. The lessons and preced...

Federalismo en Pakistán: desafíos fiscales y el camino a seguir

Asian Journal of Social Science, 2021

The study undertakes the structural transformation in the postcolonial states with reference to P... more The study undertakes the structural transformation in the postcolonial states with reference to Pakistan. It attempts to dissect the process of decay given the pretext of the colonial past and the institutional legacies. This interplay has led to the hybridity in political and institutional structures which have resultantly plagued the governance and state structure in Pakistan. This study attempts to underscore the nuances and underpinnings which led to the decay and deterioration in Pakistan. It further explicates the trends in postcolonial politics, institutional modus-operandi and failure of indigenization in societal norms and values consequently impacting state and society in Pakistan.

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2022

Pakistan Factor and the Competing Perspectives in India, 2021

International Area Studies Review, 2021

The research undertakes the structural transformation of India by the ideology of Hindutva embodi... more The research undertakes the structural transformation of India by the ideology of Hindutva embodied by the contemporary government of the Bhartiya Janata Party. This study is a first of its kind as it attempts to decipher the genesis of this metamorphosis from a psychoanalytical perspective. India has been accredited as a stalwart of democracy and an uploader of an inclusive multicultural and multireligious society. The interplay of Hindu nationalist elements and reinvigoration of past experiences supplemented by historical myths and present ontological insecurities has consequently plagued the secular fabric of India. The study further explicates all the undercurrents and nuances that underscore the ideology of Hindutva, the proselytized culture of victimization and indigenization in society resultantly impacting the society and relations of state in the region.

International Area Studies Review, 2021

This study investigates the changing political trends in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal ... more This study investigates the changing political trends in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Analysis of the last three elections (2008, 2013, 2018) shows a substantial change in the region. The tribal structure, local traditions, power arrangement and electoral practices have changed significantly over a decade. The extension of the Political Parties Order to the region and its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stimulated political activities in the area that increased the political awareness of tribal people. The results of the 2013 and 2018 elections highlight the changes. Electoral activities, women participation and voter turnout increased with every election. Tribal youth joined existing political forums to demand their democratic rights. A significant percentage of the young, educated Pashtuns joined the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement in its demand for improved governance.

Democracy in Pakistan: From Rhetoric to Reality

This research study tries to comprehend the changing landscape of Pakistan's politics and aims to... more This research study tries to comprehend the changing landscape of Pakistan's politics and aims to build a theoretical understanding of it through the comprehension of global processes of democracy, capitalism and modernity.