Junaid Ahmad

2 weeks ago | blogs.worldbank.org | Ousmane Diagana |Jorge Familiar |Junaid Ahmad |Pablo Saavedra

As liquidity pressures mount for some countries, there’s renewed interest in debt-for-development, when a country exchanges its expensive debt for cheaper debt and then redirects the savings into development spending. Find out about a debt-for-development swap operation in Côte d’Ivoire, enabled by the World Bank Group, that’s taking a new approach.

2 weeks ago | qoshe.com | Junaid Ahmad

In every nation, there exists a sacred myth—the story a people tell themselves about who they are and who protects them. In Pakistan, that myth has long centered on the soldier: the stoic, selfless guardian of the realm, standing alert at the border, poised to defend the homeland against existential threats. This myth remains intact at the level of sepoys and fighter pilots, where danger is real and the salaries are not.

3 weeks ago | israel.timesofnews.com | Junaid Ahmad

By Junaid S. AhmadOver the past week, the world did not witness counterterrorism—it witnessed bloodlust masquerading as statecraft. On April 22, a deadly attack in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 Hindu tourists in Indian-occupied Kashmir. No group claimed responsibility, no investigation followed, no evidence was released. But New Delhi, undeterred by the absence of facts, scripted its own narrative. In this state-sponsored spectacle, truth is neither sought nor necessary.

3 weeks ago | qoshe.com | Junaid Ahmad

4 weeks ago | qoshe.com | Junaid Ahmad

It began, as it so often does, with a blast in Indian-occupied Kashmir. A terrorist attack—brutal, tragic, and all too familiar—left carnage in its wake. Without missing a beat, the Indian government did what it has made into a political reflex: it pointed its righteous finger at Pakistan, evidence optional. The mechanics are well-rehearsed by now. Accusation, moral outrage, flag-waving nationalism, and, when the mood permits, cross-border military aggression. This time, the mood most certainly did.