Annual Report 2007 - Observer Research Foundation

(left to right)
● Mr. Prachanda and Dr.
Baburam Bhattarai,
Nepal Maoist leaders,
at their first public
interaction in India at
ORF.
● Mr. Hamid Ansari and
Mr. M. Rasgotra at a
discussion.
● Mr. Vikram Sood at
“Scenarios Building:
Pakistan Army and
Peace”.
with that of regional aspirations. The primary focus of the project has been to measure India’s attempts
to forge economic alliances across the region, creating stakeholders in the region’s stability
and progress within the ambit of dynamic strategic dimensions.
The ORF Task Force on India’s Neighbourhood Policy has completed its report. The report
is under publication. The project was led by well-known expert on India’s neighbourhood,
Prof. SD Muni.
PAKISTAN STUDIES PROGRAMME
The need and urgency of monitoring and analyzing events and developments in Pakistan in view
of its rising strategic capabilities, fluctuating economic fortunes and dynamic relations with other
nations, particularly China and the United States, cannot be overstated.
For the past several years, Observer Research Foundation has had an abiding interest in the
subject, reflected in a number of publications and events related to the subject.
STUDIES &
INITIATIVES
Building Scenarios
can be equated to
creating hypotheses
of different
futures designed
to predict risks
and opportunities
involved in a given
situation
PAKISTAN: SCENARIOS PROJECT
In 2006, it was decided to identify possible methods of Building Scenarios that can be adopted to
make objective and realistic assessments and policy recommendations.
Building Scenarios can be equated to creating hypotheses of different futures designed to predict
risks and opportunities involved in a given situation. In simple terms, Scenarios provide what
will or might happen in future and hence are essential analytical tools in formulating
public policies. Besides, the exercise of creating various scenarios of
a given situation or an issue, based on given facts, lends urgency and perspective
to analysts engaged in responding to various events and happenings and
issues with policy recommendations.
To initiate the project, it was decided to take up the study of Pakistan and
the possibility of changes that might happen either during or following the
presidential as well as the general elections scheduled between late 2007 and
early 2008.
As part of the project, conceptualised and led by Mr Vikram Sood, former
chief of Research and Analysis Wing, several discussions, attended by wellknown
experts on Pakistan and related subjects, were organised at ORF. Papers
were commissioned to renowned scholars on Pakistan like Dr Selig Harrison
and Brigadier Firoze Hasan Khan.
The project report, under publication, encapsulates the issues that were
discussed at the meetings, select extracts of the papers commissioned and
10 Observer Research Foundation ◆ Annual Report 2007