by Zainab Mustafa, Research Associate, RSIL Context Pakistan has been ranked as the third most dangerous place in the world for women.[1] Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan has its roots in a patriarchal social structure under which women are considered inferior to men and are viewed as property.[2] Illiteracy, ignorance and blind faith in…
by Hafsa Durrani Gender neutrality within rape laws aims at recognizing that both men and women can be the victims of rape as well as its perpetrators.[1] However, the existing rape laws within Pakistan are far from being gender neutral as they have been drafted within the traditional male-on-female rape framework. The legal language employed by…
Jamal Aziz, Executive Director, RSIL and Oves Anwar, Director, RSIL Published in 28th May, 2017 The International Court of Justice’s order in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case resulted in a media frenzy on both sides of the border. In Pakistan, the order caused despondency and despair amongst politicians and the public alike. The Indian media, in classic fashion, claimed India’s…
By Oves Anwar, Director, RSIL Understanding the Jadhav Case 17th May, 2017 On Monday, both India and Pakistan presented oral arguments on provisional measures before the ICJ in the Jadhav Case (India v. Pakistan). The case has generated considerable debate as well as much confusion. This is not surprising as, outside the small community of international law experts,…
Jamal Aziz Executive Director RSIL Pak-India relations are once again at a low point. The recent violence in Kashmir has raised tensions on both sides, and has once again highlighted how the Kashmir dispute remains the biggest obstacle to normalizing relations between India and Pakistan. A major flashpoint is the apprehension of Kulbhushan Yadav, who…
Ahmer Bilal Soofi, President, RSIL Edited by Jamal Aziz, Executive Director, RSIL The contemporary world order has profoundly altered the traditional notions of effective conduct of diplomacy. Today, intelligent state-craft includes strategic use of new and creative forms of diplomacy to settle disputes in the international system and achieve foreign policy objectives. Now consider, for example,…