By Engineer Musa Arshad Abbasi The Collapse of a Nation’s Power Pakistan’s energy crisis is not just an inconvenience—it is a national catastrophe that has crippled industries, strangled economic growth, and plunged millions into darkness. This crisis is not merely the result of natural resource shortages but the inevitable consequence of decades of systemic corruption, poor governance, and a widespread disregard for scientific progress. At its core, this disaster stems from a deliberate neglect of mechanical engineering, technical expertise, and sustainable energy solutions. As a country rich in coal, hydropower, and solar energy resources, Pakistan should not be struggling with daily power cuts, inflated energy costs, and a failing grid. Yet, due to corrupt politicians, an unaccountable military-industrial complex, and an education system that produces underqualified engineers, Pakistan has fallen into an energy abyss. With the gap between the rich and the poor widening every single day, the elite enjoy imported luxuries while the middle and lower classes struggle to afford basic necessities like food and electricity. A Resource-rich Rich Country Devoid of Vision Pakistan is not devoid of energy resources. The Thar coal reserves, estimated at 175 billion tons, remain largely untapped due to poor planning, mismanagement, and environmental concerns that are conveniently ignored elsewhere in the world. The Indus River system offers vast potential for hydroelectric power, yet bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption have prevented the construction of large-scale dams. Similarly, solar and wind energy projects remain stagnant due to bureaucratic red tape and a lack of incentives for engineers and entrepreneurs. The real tragedy is not the absence of energy - it is in fact the absence of foresight, planning, and investment in the right sectors. Countries like China, India, and even Bangladesh have adopted diverse energy solutions, while Pakistan continues to import...

Technical Analysis by Engineer Arshad H Abbasi Executive Summary This report provides an incisive scrutiny of Pakistan's flood management strategies and systemic failures (both due to incompetence and corrupt practices) and highlights the country's vulnerability to devastating floods, as evidenced by the 2010 and 2022 disasters. Both calamities entailed cumulative estimated losses worth over $73 billion. In the aftermath of the floods in 2010 and 2022, the Government of Pakistan framed climate change as the sole culprit behind the staggering damages to the economy. After the catastrophic failure to manage the floods of 2010, international consultancy firms of repute were commissioned to develop a National Flood Protection Plan, including recommendations to enhance the capacity of the Federal Flood Commission (FFC). A distinguished panel comprising Dr. Fernando J. Gonzalez, former Regional Director of the World Bank; Dr. Thinus Basson, a professor and consultant with leading U.S. universities; and Dr. Bert Schultz, a Dutch expert renowned for his work on irrigation and drainage, conducted extensive studies and finalized their recommendations in August 2019. However, it seems that no government heeded these recommendations by international consultants on flood management, and the tendency is often to deflect from systemic failures by attributing the disaster entirely to climate change—glossing over the underlying factors that aggravated losses. No surprise that the federal finance minister, Mohammad Aurangzeb, admitted before the Senate Climate Change Committee that “the country has lost its credibility” (February 20, 2025). This begs a basic question: Can we relate the devastating impact of floods to climate change only? Do the damages accrue only from uncontrollable floods, or do systemic failures prevent partial mitigation and minimization of the floods? The report, therefore, explores this basic question and reviews Flood Management Strategies led by the Federal...

Dr. Seema Khan is a lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Deakin University in Australia. She serves as a section editor of the Springer Global Encyclopedia of Territorial Rights and was a Jinnah Fellow at the London School of Economics. Beyond academia, Seema’s professional journey spans over two decades within the public sectors across Australia and Pakistan. When addressing militancy in KP and other regions of Pakistan, there is a need to develop a national consensus. A comprehensive and integrated strategy is required to combat militancy effectively, one that considers local realities and dynamics rather than relying solely on top-down decisions that often ignore ground-level complexities. A collaborative approach, involving experts who have demonstrated success in addressing such challenges, is essential. Some officers have previously undertaken remarkable work, and their insights should be leveraged. While preparing a report on the current situation in Pakistan, I read Azam Khan’s detailed Counter Terrorism Strategy duly approved by the provincial Cabinet in its 46th meeting on 02/05/2012. The officer was a former Principal Secretary to PM Imran Khan & Former Secretary Home KP in the ANP’s government. Astonishingly, the strategy is so relevant even today and unfortunately, a decade down the line we are back to square one- nothing has changed. The report sets a strong foundation and presents a template to counter this menace. Though issued over a decade ago even before the formation of the 20 Points National Action Plan (NAP-2014) outlined by NACTA that was approved on 24th of December, 2014 by the Parliament. Despite all this, the relevance of the Counter Terrorism Strategy still remains undiminished. It underscores the importance of local participation in understanding the socio-political dynamics at play and highlights the risks of excluding those with direct interaction with affected communities. It is crucial that LEAs, both...

It will take political commitment and sincerity on both sides to steer Pakistan and Afghanistan out of the current tensions and chart the way for a better future. This was the take-away from a day-long civil society dialogue involving representatives from both countries. Nearly two dozen participants drawn from the two countries, also underscored the need for easing restrictions on visas for Afghan citizens, which they agreed, are breeding animosity and negativity among Afghans. The participants of the dialogue, organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) pointed out the losses worth millions of dollars that farmers and traders have been enduring due to abrupt border closures and political tensions. These disruptions, coupled with the corruption of officials, hit traders and farmers of both countries. Robust mechanisms and consistent policies can help minimize such disruptions and the ensuing losses, the participants suggested. Intensive discussions centred on girls’ education, terrorism, obstructions in the way of transit and bilateral trade, and visas for Afghan nationals. They also called on both governments to keep politics and trade separate and engage in meaningful dialogue on issues that are of primary concern to both countries. The civil society dialogue took place to the context of a spike in TTP-led terrorist violence and the consequent bombing of the terrorist outfit’s camps in eastern Afghanistan in December. Special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq also attended the session and listened to presentations from both sides. He promised to look into the visa-related complaints and issues encountered by common Afghans, and also informed the audience of the multiple steps the government is taking to smoothen visa processes and facilitate traders on both sides of the border. “Only through mutual consultations can we overcome problems that are hindering peoples’ and goods movement between the two countries”, delegates...

The historical ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have not always translated into harmonious state-level relations. In light of this, the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) has established the Afghan Studies Center (ASC) with the objective of facilitating people-to-people interactions, encouraging the participation of youth and promoting empowerment through various initiatives. ASC has undertaken various activities, projects, and research reports to engage youth in track III diplomacy.