Historical Background

Syria has been in a civil war since 2011 which has devastated the country. The militant group ISIS took the hold of Syria’s majority ethnic group i.e. Kurds territory who located in the northern part of Syria. It happened in 2013 as a result of power vacuum left by protests emerged against authoritarian Government. However, Kurdish militant groups (SDF) in north Syria managed to push back ISIS with the help of the United States support which also resulted in the expansion of Kurdish-led territory. By 2019, US started patrolling across the Syrian-Turkish border. The rise of Kurds in Syria is viewed as a threat by Turkey. It is because of Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) group in Turkey fighting for more than a decade with an objective of self-autonomy. The conflict between Kurds and Turkish Government has taken lives of thousands of people. Turkey is of opinion that PKK is aligned with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which comprises Kurdish and non-Kurdish militant groups in Syria and can trigger formation of illegitimate zone in Turkey. Therefore, Turkey has launched at least four military operations between 2016 and 2021 with an ultimate goal to establish “safe zone” in north-Syria.

Involvement of Different Stakeholders

Russia, Iran and Turkey along with other countries such as US, UK, France, Israel as well as Gulf states have remained prominent stakeholders since the start of Syrian war. Russia and Iran is supporting Syria’s Government whereas Turkey is a significant ally of the opposition. The focus of Turkey remained on deploying rebel groups to restrain the dominant Kurdish YPG militia in Turkey which is considered identical to SDF and is banned Kurdish rebel group in Turkey. In order to prevent the forces from launching an attack on Idlib which is the final stronghold of the opposition, Turkish troops and rebel allies have taken control of large areas along Syria’s northern border.

New Operation

Recently, the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey met for a tri-lateral summit in Tehran over Syrian issue where three vowed to continue cooperation. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said “Turkey would continue its plans for a new military attack in neighboring Syria until its security concerns are resolved”. On 19th July, 2022, Erdogan met with his Russian and Iranian counterparts in Tehran to discuss Syria after announcing earlier this year that Turkey will conduct a new offensive operation against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northeast Syria. On the other hand, United States is opposing the idea of operation in view of ISIS as a threat to United States’ stability and interests. This could escalate the tensions between both the countries and military options can be contemplated by both the sides. In any case, Syria has to suffer the most because it will weaken the security situation in northern Syria and would impact a large number of vulnerable groups living in the country which are already suffering due to numerous issues such as health, economic and security crisis.

There is a critical relationship between fuel prices and food security. Higher oil prices raise costs in using energy for agricultural supply and production, which increases the cost of basic food. This is a very well global phenomenon that whenever fuel oil costs rise, GDP growth rates drop and inflation rises. It also has an impact on consumer goods, transportation, agriculture, industry, and the purchase of raw materials for factories. Food distribution also gets affected because of the rise in fuel prices.

Fossil fuels are extensively used in machinery and equipment used in agricultural areas, the production of fertilizers, irrigation, fishing, livestock, and forestry, among other industries, in Pakistan under the present circumstances. This is why it is evident that the rise in fuel prices are affecting the food security. Two-thirds of the world’s agricultural industry is made up of costly Asia. Pakistan is also dependent on agricultural production, which makes for as much as a quarter of the total GDP. In this aspect, the agricultural sector has been attacked hard by the current energy and fuel crisis, crop disease, and ongoing climatic and topographical changes. There is a big example of a country which has recently been badly affected by the rise in fuel prices and that is Sri-Lanka. The shortage of fuel deprived the whole nation from basic human rights which also includes food security.

Over 90 million people in Pakistan are already suffering hunger at the time this is happening. However, authorities should also be very vigilant about nutritional insecurity in addition to food insecurity. Malnutrition is frequently caused mostly by poverty in developing countries like Pakistan. There is a need of minimizing the dependence of the agricultural sector on fossil fuels and carbon footprint. The nation’s energy policies also need to be updated in order to implement resource strategies. In order to increase financial support and improve manufacturing capabilities for renewable energy, inter-sectorial strategic analysis is also necessary.

Climate change is something which is inevitable now. Every year, we witness climate events which clearly shows that that climate change is here. The risk of droughts are no less, acid rains causing and water pollution causing oceans to get acidified and melting of the glaciers, this all resulting in the millions of climate refugees in the making.

Pakistan being one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, made very minimal efforts to mainstream the narrative of climate change, with the nation’s economic and political turmoil primarily stealing the show since the country’s political and economic issues are much more dominant. Climate change is one nontraditional threat to security that cannot be neglected for longer. The lives of human beings and other living things is associated with climate change. The oxygen we breathe and the food we eat, is all effected by climate change. Small steps at the individual level do matter and makes a lot of difference. We mostly hear about the bottom-up approach when it comes to climate change but the top down approach can also be helpful to tackle this climate change.

To tackle the climate crisis, adopting progressive legislation and establishing a sound framework for even provincial ministerial portfolios, the role of federal ministries is crucial. Without meaningful structural changes, Pakistan cannot merely grow its way out of the climate challenge. Even the federal climate change ministry itself requires a significant revamp. While nations around the world are doubling, tripling, and even quadruplicating their resources for combating climate change, the government must be open in how it distributes its funds and avoid making programs political. Despite the government, NGO’s, and other social workers efforts of planting trees, there is much deforestation in Pakistan which needs to be decreased. By the end of this decade, the federal government must establish medium-term plans to phase out coal. Renewable energy helps the environment as well as our unstable economy by generating income. Pakistan must simultaneously develop the necessary infrastructure for a smoother switch to electric vehicles (EV). To ensure a strong response to climate change across the nation, the ministry must establish an interprovincial unit as well.

The President of United States of America Joe Biden is on a four day (13-16 July) regional trip to Middle-East, it is the first visit since he took the charge of President Office last year. His visit’s initial stop was Israel and after that he will be going to Saudi Arabia for Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Jeddah. On 13th July, Biden landed in Israel and welcomed by Israeli President and caretaker Prime Minister. During his arrival ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport, he said “The connection between the Israeli and American people is bone deep. I am proud to say that US relations with Israel are deeper and stronger than they have ever been.” He also added “United States is committed to Israel’s security”. This statement was given in the context of US-Iran Nuclear Deal talks. A comprehensive joint statement known as the “Jerusalem Declaration” was released on the 14th July for strategic cooperation between the two countries. The declaration, according to Israeli authorities, is intended to reaffirm the relationship between the two nations as well as the United States ongoing commitment to Israel’s security. It is also to highlight the shared principles, common interests and friendship that serve as the cornerstones of the strategic US-Israeli cooperation.

The United States and Israel’s other key commitments include the values shared by the two nations, strong dedication to democracy, the rule of law, and the working for the betterment of the world. The Israeli prime minister said after the meeting with President Biden that they also discussed the “Iranian threat” to Israel. Following meetings in Israel, Biden planned to meet Palestinian Authorities and will back two-state as a solution (which is not near) to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. As Biden travels to the West Bank, the US announced $316 million for Palestinians with an objective to mend strained ties between Washington and Jerusalem and make new efforts for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

After completing trip to Israel and Palestine, Biden will fly directly to Jeddah, experts see this development as a clear indication of Saudi Arabia’s growing acceptance of Israel following decades of boycotting Israel in support of the Palestinians. Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that we are sending a message of peace to Saudis through President Biden. Along with President Biden his secretary of state, Antony Blinken will attend a regional summit in Saudi Arabia. Biden defended his statement against Saudi Arabia given in 2019, by aiming to “reorient but not rupture relations with Riyadh”. There are reports that the US will try to reach an agreement on increased defense cooperation between Israel and various Arab countries in order to counter the threat posed by Iran. Also, amid increased prices because of the Ukraine war, it is expected that discussions will be made for oil and energy as Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest oil producers. The efforts which are being made by Biden with Arab countries for Israel represent his commitment to Israel’s security, but this could enhance the existing tensions between the regional countries particularly Iran while influencing the region’s stability and security.

Sri Lanka has been devastated by a lack of foreign currency, making it difficult for it to pay for imports of food, energy, and medication. For months, its residents have been suffering from recurring power outages, record-high inflation, and currency devaluation. The president has been blamed for this condition of Sri Lanka. The government blames the pandemic for this since according to them, COVID has affected the economy of Sri Lanka generated by tourism. It’s the government’s failure as well that it was not able to tackle this issue. People are dying while waiting in fuel lines and are struggling to eat three meals a day. It has led to large-scale protests.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) increased borrowing prices in an effort to combat the country’s record-high inflation and restrain any growth in underlying demand. Insufficient foreign money is available in Sri Lanka to cover imports. Therefore, it has stopped selling petrol to regular people. As per estimates, it is the first nation for it since the 1970s. Officials estimated that there was only a week’s worth of fuel left for vital services like buses, trains, and medical vehicles over the last week. There is a shortage of food as well. Sri Lanka decided to concentrate more on supplying goods to the domestic market after its civil war ended in 2009 rather than attempting to enter other markets. Therefore, export revenue remained low while import costs continued to rise. Sri Lanka currently imports $3 billion more yearly than it exports, which is why it has run out of foreign exchange.

It is quite natural that when the population gets deprived of basic human rights, the frustration leads towards the protest against the government. Population is demanding the removal of the president and prime-minister. People and Sri-Lanka started protesting and the protests are now turning into the violent circumstances in Sri Lanka. Police is there to resist the protestors. As the violence worsens, Sri Lankan police impose a curfew and use tear gas. Violence is not the solution. The current state of Sri Lanka’s economy and lack of political stability cannot be fixed by chaos and force.

Karachi is a city that has always been affected by floods in every monsoon reason. There is no such crisis management in Karachi for this crisis. This issue needs to be taken into consideration since Karachi, the economic hub is deprived of basic disaster management leaving a city in a chaotic situation every monsoon season.

Since many of the roadways in Karachi’s residential and commercial sectors are now higher than the buildings’ grounds, water pours off them into the settlements, many of which lack drainage systems. Karachi has been continually warned that none until now is enough to prevent another disaster in Karachi, and that some recent road improvements will actually make the city more prone to flooding. Now there has been light rain again. However, the roads have been transformed into raging rivers, and low-lying regions next to the recently built roadways have turned into lakes without any means of disposal. Some of these low-lying places have water that cannot drain into the ocean. Karachi residents spend hours in rickshaws and vehicles waiting for the congestion to clear. Individuals and motorcycle riders must wade across the water to get where they are going. This water is frequently combined with the sewage that is building up in the sewer trunks.

Monitory and management institutions need to be effective. They should take steps prior to the monsoon season to prevent floods. Building storm-water drains on either side of highways is important to prevent them from flooding. Currently, storm water drainage relies on the sewerage system (where it exists). This is not enough to handle even a moderately heavy rainfall. The construction of the roads should be done accordingly to prevent the risk of flood. For example, the roads should not be constructed higher than the settlements. , Karachi needs to have collection points for low-lying areas from where water can be pumped into the sea. It is a very important matter since Karachi is the main economic hub of Pakistan and disasters like floods not only affects the living population there but, the whole economy gets disturbed by this.

After New Delhi abolished the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5, 2019, relations between India and Pakistan took a severe hit. Pakistan responded strongly to India’s move by cutting diplomatic ties and expelling the Indian ambassador. According to several Indian media channels that cited a 33-page dossier from the Indian Army, which allegedly accused Pakistan for helping militants cross the border for “terrorist actions”. The Indian Army made “baseless allegations”, according to the Foreign Office (FO) and denied the accusations against Pakistan by Indian media. The foreign office spokesperson released a statement said “We categorically reject the false and fabricated so-called dossier, the reported contents of which were created not only using false information, assertions and accusations in an effort to draw attention away from India’s own blatant and well documented campaign of state terrorism and the prevalent human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK)”.

The Foreign Office (FO) commented on the fact that India, rather than upholding its obligations under international law and ensuring that the people of IIOJK are granted their fundamental right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and in terms of expectations, has chosen to focus on fictional accounts in order to distract from its own failings. The representative suggested India do introspection in order to organize its own affairs. The Indian attempts to pose as a victim of terrorism and make unfounded accusations against Pakistan over terrorism stand completely exposed. Pakistan’s new Government was making efforts to re-establish the troubled and tensed relations; Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif indicated a desire for “meaningful interaction” and a diplomatic resolution to the Kashmir conflict. Also, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that making peace between the two states is the solution to constrained relations and parting ways is not in the interest of any side. He emphasized the disengagement would not serve the purpose of Pakistan as well as India, for that economic diplomacy can be considered.

Pakistan’s foreign policy must be progressive and open to quickly changing global circumstances but it does not mean to sacrifice on ideals because the country is in a difficult neighborhood and is dealing with numerous external and internal issues. In this context, Pakistan should remain focused on its foreign policy objectives according to the ongoing situation. India and Pakistan should be considerate of the fact that to resolve the Kashmir issue, the arch rivalry due to this issue has resulted in security concerns at state and regional level which pose serious implications. Since the Kashmir dispute is a political one, it calls for a political strategy based on consistent negotiations. With the goal of permanently resolving the Kashmir dispute, both the states of India and Pakistan must sit down at the negotiating table. Bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral negotiations are among the available ways, but it is unlikely that they would succeed if one or more parties refuse to participate in the peace process.

Introduction

The methods used to safeguard computers, networks, programs, and data from unwanted access or attacks intended for exploitation are known as cyber security. In today’s world the users of technological devices have increased significantly, people are more dependent on technology than ever before. No doubt, technology has brought us so much good and it makes difficult to believe and understand the potential risks hide behind this technology. Nevertheless, despite how positively society views current advancements, cyber security concerns posed by contemporary technology can result in serious hazard to society and the state. As the world is going digital, the cyber security threats have also emerged at global level. The government and private players in Pakistan have transitioned to digital services as a result of better internet connectivity; notable innovations include mobile banking and online banking transactions. New methods of committing crimes have emerged alongside digitization. Global cyber security threats have been a challenge, and every government needs a specialized unit to combat cybercrime.

Cyber Security: Future Risks

The pandemic, cryptocurrencies and the expansion of remote work are all contributing factors to the development of an environment for criminals to take advantage of the crisis situation and usual circumstances. Forbes predicted that the year 2022 will bring a variety of alarming cyber security concerns, including supply chain disruption, and greater dangers from smart devices which will result in lack of cyber security experts due to the high level and increased number of threats. By 2025, cybercrime will cost the world $10.5 trillion annually, as per Cybercrime Magazine. In addition, during the coming four years, costs associated with cybercrime are expected to increase globally by about 15% annually.

Cyber Security in Pakistan

The National Centre for Cyber Security (NCCS) was formed by the Pakistani government in 2018 in collaboration with Planning Commission and Higher Education Commission with a focus on network security, smart devices, and cybercrime forensics. PTA has formulated a cyber security framework with the help of cyber security and IT experts. The framework will enable public and private enterprises and individuals to better manage and mitigate cyber security risks. It is being considered as a key step toward enhancing the security environment in the telecom industry of Pakistan. Apart from that, a policy on cyber security has also been introduced in order to deal with crimes associated with electronic systems. This policy was much needed and a useful measure in the time when we examine the position of Pakistan on the Global Cyber Security Index. With the policy, Pakistan will make serious efforts to improve its ranking and as the country will have a policy, all the stakeholders will have to follow it and those who does not abide by it will bear the consequences. This will improve the overall situation and help to promote digitization in a safe way. To conclude, Government should take all the steps that are necessary for the implementation of the policy for effective and efficient outcomes.

All of the three states have a very complex relationship with each-other and it is evolving now. Iraqi president has recently visited Saudi Arab and Iran to discuss the regional stability. Iraq and Iran have recently agreed upon joining forces to promote peace and stability in the region. On the other hand, Iran and Saudi Arab, and Iraq and Saudi Arab, are restoring their relations too.

Saudi Arabia and Iran frequently highlight their political and religious conflicts rather than addressing their common regional interests. However, the example of Iraq, with which Iran fought a devastating war in the 1980s shows that differences, even a history of hostilities, can be transformed and set aside when it comes to shared geopolitical and economic interests between states. Iran and Iraq presently have some of the strongest political, social, and economic ties of any two Middle Eastern nations. Same is the case with Saudi Arab and Iran. Many analysts claim that religious differences between the two countries are the cause of the current “cold war.” They think Saudi Arabia and Iran are in competition for control of the Islamic world. These religious differences between the Sunnis ( Wahabism) and Shias ( Shiaism) become minor, when it comes to economic differences and competition for regional influence. Five rounds of negotiations between Riyadh and Tehran have taken place, which have been hosted by Iraq during the past year. According to the Iraqi president, “reconciliation is near between the rivals’’ and this is a sign of shifting political alignments across the region.

Improved ties between the three would benefit not only the Middle East but also North and East Africa, allowing Muslim nations to refocus on poverty eradication, intolerance of other religions, and terrorism as well as advancing democratic changes. Also, their evolving relationship can influence and help preventing the Israel’s control over Muslim holy sites, its expansion into the West Bank, as well as Israel’s covert nuclear weapons program. Normalization of relationship between Iran and Saudi Arab will also enhance closer ties with European Union. This triangle of Saudi Arab, Iraq and Iran will also facilitate economic stability in the region. It will also help them to seek stable oil prices knowing how important this market is to their economies.

COVID-19 health problems cross international borders. All nations had to deal with the pandemic threat, although the majority of less developed nations have been found in more risky positions as a result of their insufficient financial and medical resources. The pandemic COVID 19 has not been ended yet. There is again a new wave which is spreading globally and Pakistan too is in a midst of it. So, the most important thing is to remain pro-active by taking timely actions and measures to reduce the risk of high spread. The government needs to adopt protective measures because the consequences of the virus are not hidden.

Fortunately though, an increase in cases has not, until now, resulted in an increase in hospitalizations. A significant defense against the virus is provided by vaccinations in conjunction with immunity acquire, especially in preventing sickness severe enough to necessitate hospitalization. Therefore, unlike the first three waves, this time around, hospitalizations are expected to be significantly lower than before, even in the case of the high spread of virus. Pakistan is relatively well-prepared to handle the upcoming ripples and waves of Covid-19 given the benefit of experience, having dealt with five waves, and having a vigilant National Command and Operation Centre more securely formed in the National Institute of Health. There are still many things to be concerned about, therefore this should not lead to carelessness. Now is the time for people to start taking it seriously. High rates of vaccination, including boosters, and observance of safety precautions increase the likelihood that the transmission of infection won’t spin out of control; even if the virus mutates, moderate to severe cases are likely to be uncommon. Despite this, there is always a chance that something unforeseen may occur during the pandemic.

Giving advice will never be helpful anywhere until and unless the government and the people cooperate. Pakistan is already going through severe economic crisis and it cannot afford to have the lockdowns once again. If the government and the people are not vigilant about the new wave and do not follow the precautionary measures, then this will not only effect the health but, the whole economic system as well. As we all know that the lockdowns cause economic loss and Pakistan’s economy is already at a very suffering stage. This pandemic has put mankind and global resilience at risk while also presenting unexpected challenges to countries.