Pakistan is a complex country made up of some 160 million people (95 percent of whom are Muslims) with various ethnic groups vying for power and recognition. Progressive 20th century institutions and Western-educated leaders are constantly challenged by an entrenched feudal establishment and a religious... MORE

Aside from Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. led war on terrorism has affected the geopolitical fortunes of Iran and Pakistan more than any other country in West Asia and the Middle East. While on the surface it seems that Pakistan sustained a geo-strategic setback with... MORE

Out of a list of successes and near-misses in Pakistan, the killing of one key al-Qaeda operative may mark a turning point in the fortunes of the contest. In what is the latest in a series of breakthroughs announced by Pakistani security, a two-hour gun... MORE

The September 26 death of Amjad Farooqi, Pakistan's most wanted terrorist, reveals the new face of terrorism taking shape in the backwoods of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Killed after a five-hour gun battle with security forces in Sindh, Pakistan, Farooqi had a bounty of Rs 20... MORE

President Pervez Musharraf's surprise initiative, revealed on October 25, to solve the Kashmir dispute which has plagued relations with India for almost 60 years, has plunged political circles in Pakistan into turmoil. The initiative, broadly speaking, is an examination of a number of options to... MORE

In many ways, Bangladesh seems an excellent place for al-Qaeda to find sanctuary in the decisive years ahead. It is an impoverished Islamic nation, politically weak and backward in its economic development. Its ports have been active hubs for transnational crime, including weapons running. [1]... MORE

Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (Corp of the Prophet's Companions), a militant Islamist organization and the largest sectarian outfit in the country, was outlawed by President Pervez Musharraf on January 12, 2002 for its alleged involvement in terrorist related activities. More than 1,500 of its members were arrested... MORE

A couple of events in January 2005, have once again highlighted the increasing political activity of radical Islamist parties in Bangladesh, and the precarious state of a country which threatens to become the next theatre for the War on Terrorism. The first was the assassination,... MORE

On February 15, police in the Pakistani province of Balochistan arrested six suspected members of the outlawed militant Sunni group, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), for attacks against Shi'a Muslims in March of last year and in July 2003 that claimed 100 victims. The arrests were a... MORE

Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT – Army of the Pure) is the most well-organized and powerful Islamic militant organization in Pakistan. Designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department and banned by the Pakistan government after the September 11 attacks, and notorious for its suicide attacks in... MORE