Blog
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.
Mattis Comes to India: What's on the Agenda?
By Harsh V. Pant
What's on the agenda when Trump's secretary of defense lands in India?
Nawaz Sharif's Return to Politics Will Only Deepen Pakistan's Constitutional Crisis
By Umair Jamal
Sharif’s return to political leadership in the PML(N) will jeopardize Pakistan's already dire constitutional problems.
Thailand’s Relevance for India’s Act East Policy
By Tridivesh Singh Maini and Sandeep Sachdeva
Thailand can be India's gateway to Southeast Asia.
Modi’s Bumpy Anticorruption Drive
By Yigal Chazan
The Indian prime minister’s attempt to tackle ‘black money’ and financial crime is proving controversial.
A Win for All: Pakistan's NA-120 By-Election
By Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
All of Pakistan’s major political players have something to celebrate after the by-election to fill Nawaz Sharif’s seat.
Putting Sri Lanka’s Office of Missing Persons in Perspective
By Taylor Dibbert
Operationalizing Sri Lanka’s Office of Missing Persons isn’t necessarily that significant.
Is India's Demonetization a Failure?
By Aswin Mannepalli
Data released by the Reserve Bank of India indicates that demonetization has failed to flush out black money.
China Pressuring Pakistan on Terrorism?
By Arushi Kumar
Is China's tone on Pakistan starting to change?
Is a Paradigm Shift in Pakistan's Regional Policy Possible?
By Umair Jamal
Pakistan needs an alternative vision of the state to implement a new regional security policy.
Pakistan’s Bad Reaction to the BRICS Declaration
By Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
Islamabad’s defensive reaction was more self-damaging than the BRICS’ original statement.
Amid Climate Disasters, South Asia’s Cities Need to Focus on Resilience
By Nandan Sharalaya
Investing in resilient infrastructure does not come cheap and funding remains a key constraint.
Sri Lanka: Sovereignty Compromised
By Ana Pararajasingham
Colombo’s attempt to balance India and China has proved futile.