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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.

Sri Lanka: A Free and Fair Election?

Sri Lanka: A Free and Fair Election?

By Charu Lata Hogg

In theory, today’s vote should be a close contest. Whether the election is free and fair is another question.

Nepal: China's Gateway to South Asia?

Nepal: China's Gateway to South Asia?

By Akhilesh Pillalamarri

China's latest South Asian addition to the Silk Road: Nepal.

After Peshawar Attack, Pakistan's Civil Society Under Threat

After Peshawar Attack, Pakistan's Civil Society Under Threat

By Kiran Nazish

Pakistan’s civil society is under attack by “unknown miscreants” for speaking against the "good" Taliban.

Time to Energize BIMSTEC

Time to Energize BIMSTEC

By Bipul Chatterjee and Surendar Singh

With negotiations stalling at the SAARC, it’s time for India to focus on the Bay of Bengal.

Afghan Unity Government Under Pressure

Afghan Unity Government Under Pressure

By Ankit Panda

Afghanistan's national unity government has come under fire for its failure to appoint a federal cabinet.

Terror Outfits Build Presence in Gilgit-Baltistan

Terror Outfits Build Presence in Gilgit-Baltistan

By Senge Sering

The Pakistani Taliban has named a native from the Himalayan region of Gilgit-Baltistan as its new spokesperson.

Obama's Mixed Signals to India and Pakistan

Obama's Mixed Signals to India and Pakistan

By Ankit Panda

The U.S. is starting 2015 with both a presidential trip to India and the approval of civilian aid for Pakistan.

2014 Deadliest Year for Afghan Civilians

2014 Deadliest Year for Afghan Civilians

By Ankit Panda

2014 was the deadliest year for Afghan civilians since 2002.

Bangladesh Juggles Chinese, Japanese Interest

Bangladesh Juggles Chinese, Japanese Interest

By ASMG Kibria

Both China and Japan have announced big plans for the South Asian country.

India’s Foreign Policy Reimagined

India’s Foreign Policy Reimagined

By Neelam Deo

The style and substance of Narendra Modi's foreign policies have been very different from those of his predecessors.

2015: A Trying Year for Indian Politics

2015: A Trying Year for Indian Politics

By Sanjay Kumar

The Bharatiya Janata Party's dominance in 2014 will be challenged in 2015.

The Hypocrisy of Pakistan's Homeland Criticism

The Hypocrisy of Pakistan's Homeland Criticism

By Akhilesh Pillalamarri

The Pakistani government's complaints about Homeland are hypocritical.

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Authors

The Pulse

Contributing Author

Abdul Basit

Abdul Basit is a Senior Associate Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, where he covers extremism and militancy in South Asia. Follow him on Twitter @basitresearcher.

Contributing Author

Ahmed Naish

Ahmed Naish is a freelance journalist from the Maldives and former editor of the Maldives Independent, the country’s premier English-language publication.

Contributing Author

Akhilesh Pillalamarri

Akhilesh Pillalamarri is an international relations analyst, writer, and journalist.

Contributing Author

Ali Riaz

Ali Riaz is a distinguished professor of Political Science at Illinois State University and a nonresident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council.

Contributing Author

Birat Anupam

Birat Anupam is a Kathmandu-based Nepali journalist writing mostly on tourism, diplomacy, and the environment.

Contributing Author

Elizabeth Roche

Elizabeth Roche is Associate Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs, OP Jindal Global University, Haryana, India.

Contributing Author

Kavita Chowdhury

Kavita Chowdhury is an independent journalist and writes on development, politics, gender, culture.

Contributing Author

Mariyam Suleman Anees

Mariyam is a development specialist and a freelance writer from Gwadar. She tweets at @mariyamsuleman

Guest Author

Mimrah Abdul Ghafoor

Mimrah Ghafoor writes on the politics and diplomacy of the Indian Ocean, with a particular focus on the Maldives. He holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of St Andrews. He served as a speechwriter for the President of the 76th Session of the General Assembly.

Guest Author

Mohamed Zeeshan

Mohamed Zeeshan is a foreign affairs columnist and author of “Flying Blind: India’s Quest for Global Leadership.”

Contributing Author

Mubashar Hasan

Mubashar Hasan, Ph.D., is a Sydney-based scholar and analyst of geopolitics in South Asia.

Contributing Author

Rajeev Bhattacharyya

Rajeev Bhattacharyya is a senior journalist in Assam in India’s northeast.

Contributing Author

Rathindra Kuruwita

Rathindra Kuruwita is a journalist and a researcher from Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Contributing Author

Rushali Saha

Rushali Saha is a New Delhi based independent researcher and foreign affairs columnist. She is currently working as a security risk analyst with Horizon Intelligence, a Belgium-based threat intelligence firm.

Guest Author

Santosh Sharma Poudel

Santosh Sharma Poudel is a faculty at the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu and a co-founder of Nepal Institute for Policy Research (NIPoRe).

Contributing Author

Saqlain Rizve

Saqlain Rizve is a Bangladeshi journalist and photographer who covers politics and society from Dhaka for The Diplomat.

Contributing Author

Snigdhendu Bhattacharya

Snigdhendu Bhattacharya, the author of two non-fiction books on India’s ultra-Left and the Hindu right, writes and comments on India’s politics, environment, human rights and culture.

Staff Author

Sudha Ramachandran

Sudha Ramachandran is South Asia editor at The Diplomat.

Contributing Author

Umair Jamal

Umair Jamal is a correspondent for The Diplomat, based in Lahore, Pakistan.