The October 2021 issue of the Melange International Magazine, we turn the Big Story titled to “Afghanistan and the Post-conflict Reconstruction Initiatives” by the Editor-in-Chief of Melange International Magazine Amna Malik. Her article is a timely examination of Pakistan’s potential role in the economic development and rehabilitation of Afghanistan. She proposes a reconstruction policy framework to be pursued by regional states, particularly Pakistan, and recommends a set of initiatives, including the humanitarian and rehabilitation efforts to build the Afghan society, that can lead toward security, peace, and stability for the region. For instance, she says that Pakistan must play a broader role in opting wisely, as this new situation has the potential to reach peace through economic development and win-win cooperation.
Apart from establishing sustainable ties with Afghanistan, efforts should be made to avert great risks embedded in the chaotic situation left by NATO in Afghanistan. Indeed, any peace and reconciliation initiatives of Islamabad should also contain the reconstruction of the economy as the main item on the agenda.
The challenges are daunting. The situation is becoming dire for around 18 million people of Afghanistan – directly in need of humanitarian assistance. A sluggish response from the international community can cause grave humanitarian consequences.
The following Spot Light piece titled “Algeria-Morocco Impending Conflict” by Khalid Latif the Editor of Melange International Magazine provides a comprehensive analysis to the conflict and traces the sources of tension and future implications. Algeria which broke off relations with Morocco on August 25, 2021 has caused for a diplomatic rupture between the two neighboring African states which may lead to heightened tensions and a possible open conflict.
We also get a first-hand account by Brig (retd) Asif Haroon Raja on why terrorism in Pakistan is not dying down and that the upsurge in acts of terror in Waziristan and interior Baluchistan is not declining in spite of a radically changed environment in Afghanistan and installation of a fence along the western border. In a subsequent piece, Saima Zaman writes on the significance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional grouping constituted of China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and some of the Central Asian states. She is of the opinion that the organization, which solely focuses on countering extremism, terrorism and separatism, can play a role in cultural connection, political bonding, and economic integration in the region. Zeeshan Shoukat’s article highlights critical aspects of India’s assertive strategy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The author maintains that India sees its supremacy over the Indian Ocean as a fundamental right to achieve a great power status. To that end, the country is trying to expand its naval presence in the IOR and achieve political influence among the littoral states of the region. Syed Mushahid Hussain Naqvi’s powerful piece traces the emerging trends in the Pakistan-US ties and charts a way forward. He thinks the U.S.’s signing of a peace agreement with the Taliban in February 2020 granted the group a political legitimacy and that it paved the way for the Taliban’s government in Kabul. He also feels that the situation in Afghanistan will continue to define the future trajectory of Pakistan-US ties.
Other articles of the October issue feature diverse perspectives and insights by national and international analysts, scholars, and academician on a range of issues related to global security, regional affairs, and international peace. Saba Ashraf’s piece on Pakistan Border Security Regime; Yousef Jamal’s insight on Liberation Legitimacy: How Far Does It Count? Yucel Acer’s views on Turkey Delimitate Its Maritime Borders with Egypt and Palestine; and Muhammad Al-Hachimi Al-Hamidi’s informative analysis on the “Tunisian Coup: Actors and Implications”Maheen Shafeeq in her piece sheds light on Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on the Future Warfare.
