POK underwent the 11th general election on 25th July. The outcome held no surprise. It is invariably the party in power in Islamabad, which wins the election in the territory. The outgoing regime of Raja Farouk Haider was elected when PML (N) of Nawaz Sharif was in power in Islamabad. The State Assembly has 53 seats. This includes 33 general seats, 12 refugee seats, and 8 reserved seats for women, technocrats, and overseas Kashmiris. The reserved seats are divided amongst the parties on the basis of their performance in the first two categories. Hence, they do not affect the balance.

BIMSTEC member states (apart from landlocked countries- Nepal and Bhutan) are connected via maritime boundaries of the Bay of Bengal. It is the direct linking factor between the littorals. To discuss the importance of maritime connectivity, join Dr Probal K Ghosh and Cchavi Vasisht in this episode of the podcast.

The consolidation and deepening of democracy in Taiwan as evident from the regular and periodic elections and peaceful transfer of political baton from one political party to another speak volume of the democratic culture and tradition of Taiwan. The way Taiwan has protected and promoted democracy against the backdrop of the Communist regime in mainland China is admirable and awe inspiring, more particularly after the pandemic COVID-19.