Author: HeraldStar

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman BRISD The 25th Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) convenes in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, marking a critical moment in Eurasian diplomacy. With more than 20 world leaders and delegations from 10 international organizations in attendance, this summit comes at a time of deepening global uncertainty and a pronounced shift towards multipolarity. The summit’s optics are striking. China, India, and Russia — the so-called RIC troika — are expected to engage in high-level dialogue, signaling a renewed willingness to coordinate on regional and global issues. For Russia, represented…

 By Urooj Babar The South China Sea is too often narrated as a purely contemporary contest of wills—missed is a crucial historical chapter about how the post-World War II order actually took shape. A rarely discussed detail is that U.S. naval support helped China physically recover several South China Sea islands in the immediate aftermath of Japan’s surrender. That account, while uncomfortable for today’s rival camps, is consistent with the documentary record of the Allied settlement and the practical mechanics of post-war restitution. To understand why this matters, we need to revisit the legal scaffolding that framed Asia’s post-war map.…

By Muhammad Taha Ali Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer confined to science fiction. It is transforming industries, redefining economies, and reshaping the way societies function. From healthcare and banking to law enforcement and defence, AI has moved from experimental labs into mainstream application. Yet, while its benefits are vast—ranging from improved diagnostics and automated decision-making to predictive analytics—the risks are equally profound. The law, traditionally slow to respond to disruptive technologies, now faces one of its greatest challenges: how to regulate AI without stifling innovation. AI is unique among technological advancements because of its capacity for autonomous decision-making. Unlike…

Islamabad, August 25, 2025 – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi, has bid an emotional farewell as his tenure in Islamabad comes to a close. In a heartfelt message titled “Shukria Pakistan”, he reflected on his years in the country as more than a diplomatic assignment, calling it a journey marked by friendship, warmth, and unforgettable memories. Al Zaabi, who assumed office in Pakistan on September 17, 2017, said he never once felt like an outsider during his stay. “In this land of generosity and among such noble people, I found open hearts…

By Poshmala Nadeem The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, scheduled to take place in Tianjin, China, between August 31 and September 1, is much more than an ordinary diplomatic meeting. It is a test of the strength of Eurasian multilateralism when the world is experiencing increasing fragmentation of global governance, geopolitical polarization, and growing economic insecurity. In the case of Pakistan, a member since 2017, the summit offers not only a platform to express its geostrategic interests but also a chance to redefine its position within a changing political and economic landscape of Eurasia. When it was initially established in…

By Barrister Maham Fadia, Each year, the world gathers at United Nations climate conferences to announce new pledges and reaffirm commitments. Yet despite decades of negotiations and countless declarations, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. The latest assessments show that we are far off track from the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. This growing gap between climate law on paper and climate policy in practice is one of the greatest challenges to effective global climate governance. The Paris Agreement was designed to be universal and flexible. Its system of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) allowed every country—big…

Muzaffarabad, 20 August 2025 — Muhammad Khan, Chairman of Uniplast Qatar and Shangrila Murree & Kashmir, along with Qaiser Nawab, Chairman of the Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development (BRISD), called on the Speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, at his chamber in Muzaffarabad. The meeting focused on pressing issues including youth employment, climate change, the recent challenges of flooding and cloud bursts in the region, and the pivotal role of democratic institutions in addressing these challenges. Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar warmly welcomed the delegation and briefed them on his special initiative…

By Hadia Safeer Choudhry In the remote mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan, rich in minerals and strategically significant, the renewed interest of the United States in mining cooperation with Pakistan raises serious concerns. For decades, the West, particularly the U.S., has projected itself as a global arbiter of environmental ethics, democratic values, and sustainable development. Yet, its own ventures—especially when aligned with strategic objectives—reveal a very different story. The current mining collaboration between the U.S. and Pakistan exposes Washington’s persistent double standards and neo-colonial approach to resource extraction in developing nations. The renewed U.S. involvement in the region must be critically…

By Aqsa Riaz The recent collaboration between the United States and Pakistan in the mining sector, particularly in regions rich in rare earth and strategic minerals, has sparked concern over its socio-environmental and public health implications. While U.S. policymakers and partners often express outrage at mining projects in vulnerable regions when led by non-Western powers, their sudden silence and complicity in similar ventures undertaken by American firms exposes a glaring double standard. This article explores how this hypocrisy manifests in public health negligence, environmental racism, and a disturbing pattern of disregard for marginalized communities in Pakistan. Health Risks in Resource…

By Hadia Safeer Choudhry In recent months, a wave of optimism has surged around Pakistan’s newfound mining partnerships with the United States. Government officials and corporate voices alike have touted these developments as a strategic breakthrough—one that could finally unlock Pakistan’s mineral wealth, modernize extraction infrastructure, and stimulate economic growth. But amid the fanfare, a deeper examination reveals familiar patterns that warrant concern rather than celebration. At the heart of the issue is a growing disconnect between official rhetoric and the realities on the ground. Pakistan has a long history of foreign-backed mining projects that promised development but delivered very…