The incompatible reservations have adversely affected the uniform application of the CEDAW Convention. A significant number of incompatible reservations have been formulated by the Muslim states. Such reservations have undermined the CEDAW provisions and conceivably doubt the state's accountability for its obligations under the Convention. The research comprises of two parts; first, it examines the reservations of the Muslim states in the context of their obligations under the Convention. Second, it adopts an analytical approach to analyze women rights in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran (as a non-state party). Our findings reveal that despite the incompatible reservations, the Muslim states that have ratified the CEDAW Convention have shown significant improvement in women rights as compared to the states that are not members of the Convention. It suggests that Muslim states should revisit the scope of their reservations and adopt a rational approach towards women rights and fulfilling the obligations under the CEDAW Convention.

How are the systemic constraints transformed through the transmission belt of leader's idiosyncrasies and domestic pressures in order to result in the outcome, which is the pursuance or non-pursuance of regime change policy by the United States? This study analyses the foreign policy decision making of President Bush vis-a-vis Iraq, President Obama vis-a-vis Libya, and President Trump vis-a-vis Iran. It raises the following questions: What is the US policy of regime change, and why and how has it pursued this policy? Why were the US policies different in Iraq, Libya, and Iran, and what have been the implications of these policies upon the region as a whole? While using neoclassical realism as the theoretical paradigm and using qualitative content analysis, this study hypothesizes that the interplay of systemic and domestic level variables results in the foreign policy outcomes in the form of action or inaction towards a particular issue.

The USA, the victor of the Cold War, became supper power in 1992 and started to exercise its hegemony in the world. China, a Cold War ally of the US, became a stronger economy and came forward to encounter the Primacy of the US in Asia. In the name of peaceful development and cooperation, China has become the supreme exporter of the world and the second economy of the world. The advancement PRC has made in the arena of technology, military, space technology, its engagements in different regions, its soft balancing strategy in the world displays that China wants to perform as a forthcoming hegemon of the world. This paper analyze both the soft and hard balancing tactics of China to counter the omnipotence of the US in different regions of the world. The strategies of China illustrates that it is searching for a multipolar world.

This article will examine the idea of new states/provinces in India. How India created 16 new states on ethno-lingual, and other lines and accommodate the ethnic groups. The case study of India is focussing on the different factors; including constitutional setup and role of different political parties of India in making of the new state. The following three basic questions investigate the paper’s perspective. First; what has been the basis of demands for the creation of new states in India? Second; what are the main hurdles in the reorganization of state and what urged the redemarcation of states in India? Third; what has been the stance of political Parties about the creation of new states in Indian state?

The government's role as a digital platform brings with it challenges including the possibility that the freedom of expression and the right to privacy conflict with each other in the digital space. The citizen's privacy becomes exposed to new vulnerabilities. A citizen's voice, vote and changes in status, can be stolen or sabotaged with catastrophic individual and national consequences. Individual digital identity also must fall under digital property laws. One citizen's exercise of free speech can be trespassing of digital space for another citizen. The jurisdiction of the state in digital space must be redefined. The writ of the state in digital space must be more pervasive, and yet more narrowly defined,to protect the rights of all citizens.

This analysis focus corporate social responsibility and executive compensation in China and also tests the relationship between state possession and executive compensation in presence of CSR. The estimated results confirm our hypotheses true in the selected sample of 2011 to 2014 of China. The firms with high CSR performances positively moderate the previously negative or no relationship between state-ownership and executive compensation. Application of 2SLS and GMM guaranteed the robustness of the results to potential endogeneities.

The study titled “political factors and sectarian identities in tribal areas of Pakistan” was carried out in tribal district Kurram under positivistic tools of the data collection. A sample size of 300 respondents was randomly selected with equal proportion of Shia and Sunni from the study universe and questionnaire was used as a tool of data collection. The data was portrayed at uni-variate level with the help of frequency and percentage distribution. The association between dependent (sectarianism) and independent (political factors) variables was ascertained through Chi-Square test statistics at bivaraite level of analysis. The study concluded that alongside the local people, state agencies are either involved in sectarianism or they are unable to handle the situations. Soviet-US proxy war and United States invasion in Afghanistan accelerate the occurrences of sectarian violence in the area that became most horrible after Pakistan entrance into US coalition in war against terrorism. The local militants are enjoying external patronage for carrying anti-state operations in the area. Previously, political activities were banned in tribal areas that not only affect the conventional politics but also restrict the intervention of nationalist political forces in the region. Further, mainstream political parties are taking less interest to resolve the issue, while some political parties also ideologically supporting sect-based politics. Strict ban on militant groups, formation of strict laws for preventing militancy, and keeping open eyes on external transitions in the area were forwarded some of the recommendations.

This research concerns the process of nation-building in developing states with a focus on Pakistan. The study explores hurdles in the process of nation-building in Pakistan. In this connection, the study takes into account key political disparities such as uneven representation of various ethnic groups and regions in legislature and provincial assemblies, state-led cosmetic political reforms and feudalism and biradri-based political system that exist in various administrative units (and their tiers) of the state. The study also highlights the major administrative flaws and demographic shifts and divisions that are hampering the process of nation-building in Pakistan. The research also details the economic disparities found in various forms and at various levels in the state which minimize the prospects of nation-building in Pakistan. The study concludes that nation-building is always a state-controlled process and Pakistan has hardly addressed various hindrances in nation-building process such as political, demographic, administrative and economic issues of the various administrative units (and their tiers) as a state.

Firm's business activities are focused on profit making. The cultural, technological, organizational, financial and operational challenges followed by different risks like market or credit risks make it difficult for firms to focus on their sole aim of earning profit. Previous studies have highlighted that market risk and credit risks have a significant influence on firm's performance. However, prediction of credit risk from market risk has not been explored in Pakistan which this paper attempts by investigating the impact of market risk on credit risk of the following period. For this study, a panel data of 30 manufacturing firms was collected through random sampling technique from period 2005 to 2016. A regression model was estimated in Generalized Method of Momments and used a Hausman test to select fixed or random effects. Results of this study show that firms have 30% more current liabilities as compared to current assets and experience volatility in stock prices which increases the credit risks. However, research findings shows that firms have reasonable growth opportunities and profitability they can be used to reduce stock volatility and attain confidence of creditors in firms. The increase in leverage due to creditor's confidence in firm indicates a decrease in credit risk. Overall the study shows the significantly negative impact of market risk on credit risk of the subsequent time period which specifies market risk may foresee credit risk of the following period and gives a new understanding for investors and policymakers to curb risks in investment decisions.

Muslim scholars have contributed enormously to the concept of welfare State. Among them Shah Waliullah is the rising sun who was born in South Asian sub-continent in the 19th century. He was holding the firsthand knowledge of Quran and Hadiths, the first primary sources in Islam. Shah Waliullah's point of view regarding welfare state occupies central theme in his works. His basic concepts like equality, justice, anti-usury, and rights of working classes, espoused with responsible governance, are the pillars of the edifice of the Islamic polity. To purge the Muslims out of dogmas and channelize their energies in compliance of the true religion, Islam, Shah Waliullah has left deep imprints on modern mind. His solutions to the prevailing ills of the society can be found in his works and thought. This paper is aimed to present Waliullah's thought on establishing a happy society by curbing the inequality in the socio economic conditions of the Muslims. Historical descriptive approach is adhered to investigate the ills and present solution thereof.