Multiple developments in Pakistan’s recent polity has generated a debate about the weakness of the State and its ability to enforce its writ. One such development was Pakistani State’s negotiations with Tehreek Taliban Pakistan, a loosely connected group of Pashtun militants, who had fought the Pakistani State for more than a decade.

The United States Congress recently approved a $777.7bn defense budget, a five percent increase from last year. This move came after they pulled the last American troops out of Afghanistan and was justified as a way of dealing with the intensifying competition with China. (Al Jazeera) The budget approval had bipartisan support and supports the USA’s current stance that China poses a significant threat to its global supremacy.

 COP26 will urge the 195 countries to deliver on the promises they made when agreeing on the Paris Agreement during COP21 in 2015

On 15th August 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul, after making spectacular gains over the rest of the country. The Taliban, designated as terrorists 20 years ago, were even requested by the US to protect its stranded personnel and troops in Kabul, in a drastic change of fortunes. The United States spent 20 years, $2 trillion