Author: Syed Ali Abbas

The general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which concluded in New York in September, showed how far the institution has drifted from its founding purpose. States continue to invoke the rules-based order while increasingly bypassing the body that embodies it. The evidence from the debate points towards the fragmented outcome. The more consequential question is what role the United Nations will retain if that trajectory holds. As in previous years, the Assembly was a venue for leaders to defend and denounce positions on wars already under way, from Washington’s conflict with Iran and…

For decades, though originally a part of the same state, Pakistan and Bangladesh, geographic neighbors, have remained diplomatically distant. The lingering legacy of 1971, deep-rooted political divisions, and India’s regional influence strained the Pak-Bangladesh relationship. However, shifting regional dynamics and recent political transitions in Bangladesh have opened the door for a much-needed recalibration of ties. Reinforcing this shift, former Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain stated that there was no longer any justification for strained ties with Pakistan, signaling a growing recognition among Bangladeshi officials of the need to reset historically strained bilateral relations. Unlike past engagements that have been shaped…