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The Pulse
South Asia is a story of promise and peril where Asia’s conflicting forces of modernity and reaction meet head on. Home to a multitude of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions, The Diplomat's regional correspondents and experts will provide the insight you need to navigate one of the world's most consequential regions.
China in South Asia: Loan Shark or Lender of Last Resort?
By Akhil Ramesh
Is it accurate to characterize China’s lending practices in South Asia as predatory?
Lok Sabha Election 2019: Implications for Pakistan
By Fahad Nabeel
Who wins the election in India, and forms its next government, is of critical interest to Pakistan.
India’s Unsolved Maoist Terrorism Problem
By Vinay Kaura
The latest bombing on May 1 underscored that the threat from Naxal insurgents is very much still present.
India’s Northeast Emerges as a Drug-Trafficking Corridor Between Myanmar and Bangladesh
By Rajeev Bhattacharyya
Bangladesh is alarmed over the increasing flow of synthetic drugs from India’s Northeast sourced from laboratories in Myanmar.
Pakistan Declares War on Pashtun Nationalism
By Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
The Pakistani military is trying to sound the death knell of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement.
Why Did China Change Its Position Now on Listing JeM Chief Masood Azhar at the Security Council?
By Abhijnan Rej
India celebrates a diplomatic victory as China comes around on Azhar, but what happens next?
US Military Stops Releasing Afghanistan War Information
By Robert Burns
The U.S. military command in Kabul is no longer producing "district control data,."
Governance at the Grassroots in India’s Northeast
By Parul Abrol
What drives India’s voters?
Making the World’s Largest Democracy Work: How India’s 900 Million Voters Cast Their Ballots
By Poorvi Vora
An incredible amount of electoral machinery makes the practice of democracy possible in India.
Pakistan-Iran Relations Under Imran Khan
By Umair Jamal
How significant was the Pakistani prime minister’s visit, especially right after a major attack in Balochistan?
Afghan President Convenes Grand Council, Hoping for Consensus on Taliban Talks
By Kathy Gannon
The Loya Jirga is supposed to forge unity in a divided Afghanistan, but it may just underline existing fissures.
Under Modi, How Did Hindu Nationalism Affect India’s Foreign Relations?
By Krzysztof Iwanek
The spirit of nationalist ideology remained trapped in the body of the country’s pragmatic needs.