PAKISTAN STRATEGIC INSTITUTE

    As the controversial legal case and internal political resistance around Reko Diq comes to closure upon new agreements between Pakistan and Canadian Firm Barrick, a new era of investments and economic growth awaits Balochistan.  The Reko Diq Cooper/Gold mine project has received the required approvals and work has begun on the Reko Diq feasibility study which is expected to go on till the end of 2024, with 2028 targeted for first production. The summary of new agreement terms and developments is as follows: The Canadian Firm Barrick would bear the initial capital cost of around $7-8 Billion required to develop the project The Canadian Firms share has been reduced to 50% as compared to earlier 75%. The remaining 50% is to be shared between The Government of Balochistan (35 %) and Three Pakistan State Owned Enterprises (15 %) i.e OGDCL, PPL and GHPL. The share of economic benefits to Pakistan increased to 63 % (financial effect approx $64 Billion) as compared to onl...

Back in 2014, India reportedly held the world’s largest democratic event where Modi got elected, India declared itself the biggest democracy in the world however there’s an unspoken side to this. At the time India had 814 million people eligible to vote out of which many didn’t vote and out of which whom did vote Modi won by getting 31.34% votes. Take a moment to digest, after being voted by around 170 million voters (not taking into account corruption in the election) his party got to rule a country of over 1.29 billion. The 2019 election wasn’t that different either with BJP securing victory by 37% votes, now in practice that’s just democracy and nothing new, happens everywhere around the world but the manner in which Modi has shaped his political campaign displays him as the favorite of "everyone" creating the delusion of the largest democracy in the world, going so far as being the global leader in fake tweet followers (Over 60% fake).  Being a member of RSS he has sympat...

Project Rose was the extensive modernization program initiated by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) with the aim of  installing new various upgrades such as avionics and electronics systems of its Mirage fighters jets (These are now classified as 3rd generation aircraft). The program mainly focused on modernization of avionics and on-board computer system of Mirage IIIE and the Mirage V which were supplied by Pakistani Margella Electronics (PME), French SAGEM and the Italian SELEX consortiums. Originally Conceived in 1992 by the PAF, the program actually started in 1995 which resulted in PAF's mirages upgradation from (2nd Generation) jets to (3rd Generation) having been additionally given the ability to fight beyond visual range and launch nuclear armed ballistic missiles which brought the Mirage onto new heights of operational importance.  The Rose program can be classified as successful and saved PAF' a lot of financial capital which could now be utilized else where. More upgrad...

Upon the large-scale controversy faced by the French gov this year, for deliberately participating in spreading Anti Muslim and Anti Islam propaganda and defending its actions by citing freedom of speech and defending individuality, France has continuously elaborated on how it is the defender of democracy, freedom and equality. However, it seems this democracy, freedom and equality is only for all non-Muslims within France as the French nation continues it's previous criminal colonial ambitions and exploits countless Africans every day. Of course, profit exploration from French companies is one factor where natural resources are extracted in bulk on dirt-cheap African labor, however, the exploitation discussed here is far more effective at legally getting money out of Africa into France. This exploitation is the CFA Franc monetary system. This is basically an agreement and system France had forced within 14 African nations (The former French colonies) before "granting them ind...

By now all of us have heard the news, a military coup in Myanmar and a complete take over of power for a year (Officially) on the basis of "national emergency". But why is this happening, what led up to this and what does this mean for the future of Myanmar and the Rohingya people.  First of all let's make one thing clear, this is bad. I've seen some people on social media being happy saying "Aung San Suu Kyi (Nobel prize winner State State Counsellor of Myanmar)deserves it for committing and denying the Rohingya genocide" Those people forget that it was the army who committed the acts. Before we get to that point, we need to briefly visit Myanmar's recent history. For most of Myanmar (Or Burma) history the army has been actually in control, exercising a brutal socialist dictatorship regime. They have been involved with suppressing media, multiple ethnic groups and even known to shoot to kill peaceful protestors. Since independence the army has establish...

Pakistan army has a large operational main battle tanks fleet of various different tanks however a few years back many of those with in army service (Type 59, Type 69 tanks) were old and obsolete. To remedy this problem Pakistan army had started a large-scale tank replacement program where the Type 59 and Type 69 tanks would be transferred out of Army service into national guard and (Paramilitary) Frontier corps. In place of these the army would procure a new tank after trails and testing, the finalists of which were the Chinese VT-4 and Ukrainian Opilot. In the end the VT-4 won and an order of 300 VT-4 has been placed which will soon be joining the Pakistan army tank corps. This tank will be he most advanced and capable with in South Asia giving Pakistan much needed increase in armored fire power. However, the army does not plan on stopping there as the modernization plan seeks to completely modernize each section within the army corps. Hence as the VT-4 procurement is taking place th...

On February twenty third of 1994, three Afghans hijacked a bus filled with teachers and students at gun point, quickly driving  it to the Afghan embassy in Pakistan in the city of Islamabad. They took them as hostages and started demanding money, food, and safe passage back into Afghanistan. Negotiations for the release of hostages took place but ultimately failed and it was clear that the special forces action will have to take place to resolve the crisis. Hijacking On one normal day out on a field trip, three Afghan armed men hijacked a school bus in the city of Peshawar. The motivations centered around demanding a large sum of money and food from the Pakistani government. The three gunmen moved with the hostages forcing the driver to go towards the Afghan embassy in Islamabad using the school bus. Immediately after reaching the destination the three men took refuge within the Afghan embassy along with their hostages which numbered 15 students and one teacher. They had befor...

Nigeria is emerging as the new dominant regional power within West Africa, the country holds one of the largest natural resources reserves in the world and currently boasts the largest population in Africa. Hence law makers are looking to further expand and modernize Nigerian industries and institutions, this of course includes the Nigerian Armed Forces. Evidence of this modernization drive can already be seen as not long ago the Nigerian Army procured a handful of Chinese VT-4 tanks and recently 3 JF-17 multi role fighters from Pakistan amid celebrations marking the 57th anniversary of the service. Furthermore, numerous sources have stated that Nigerian Air Force now intends to acquire two entire squadrons comprising of JF-17 which will replace the J-7 and become the bulk of Nigerian Airforce fighter fleet. If this modernization plan is materialized Nigeria will properly join the club of countries which operate 4+ Generation warplanes and have Beyond visual Range engagement capability...

On the Twenty Fifth of May 1998, a Pakistan International Airlines Fokker F27 aircraft was hijacked just after it had taken off from Gwadar Airport, by three armed hijackers. The aircraft which carried thirty three passengers onboard along with 5 crew members were held hostage at gun point by the three armed men who forcefully demanded the place fly all the way into India, after long hours of unsuccessful negotiations Pakistani special force SSG stormed the plane, this incident turned out to be one of the most bizarre hijacking to ever occur.  Hijacking The whole incident began as the aircraft was airborne just having taken , carrying around thirty three passengers with 5 crew members onboard whose destination was towards. Three men suddenly arose armed with small arms and explosives at precisely 5:35pm. The hijackers entered the cockpit and forced the pilot to fly towards India demanding they reach new Delhi, but the pilot refused to head towards Delhi telling the hijackers about ...

The word “Imperialism” is used to define a ideology or policy by an imperial nation of extending its rule over other people and cultures, for the sole reason of extending its own geo-political gain, economic growth, power and control, through employing military action or financial, political, cultural influence. Historically this word has been used to define the acts of empires such as the British empire or Spanish empire during the age of colonialization where European powers started annexing lands all over the world via military action. Come the 21st century most countries had given up direct control over their overseas territories and switched to a democratic system ending the long monarch control and hence by default giving up direct imperialist ambitions but the thirst for power never left and as the world grew more and more interconnected / reliant on global trade it was apparent that whoever held influence in maritime strategic regions and resource rich lands around the world wo...

Whenever Afghan-Pakistan relations are discussed usually the focus will be on the series of issues that took place after 1979, often starting at the Soviet Afghan war time when Pakistan along with the US started assisting the Mujahedeen to force the Soviet influence out from the region. The talk then transfers to Taliban and how Pakistan interferes inside Afghanistan. But intentionally or even un intentionally the tense Pakistan-Afghan history from 1947-1979 time frame is often ignored which is filled with a 26-year long proxy war started  by the ethnically motivated Afghan government in the name of Pashtunistan (1947-73). They tried to create separatist forces with in and trapped Pakistan in a geological struggle to maintain its structural integrity.  Early time period context  The Afghan government for the most part in recent history has been dominated by highly ethnically driven Pashtun centered nationalists and this has had direct impact on the behavior of Afghan poli...