Journal of Development and Social Sciences

Cyber Warfare and Digital Competition between US and Russia: A Comparative Analysis Cyber Policies and Strategies

Hafsa Javed — 2026-01-16

The objective of this Study is to relatively examine the cyber warfare strategies and virtual competition policies of the United States and Russia. It aims to focus on comparative analysis of cyber policies and strategic intentions shaping their cyber techniques.Cyber warfare has emerged as a vital domain of present day international security and power opposition. Both America and Russia view cyberspace as a strategic area for influence, deterrence, and war without conventional conflict. Their cyber strategy is vital to assess worldwide digital security dynamics and geopolitical balance.This study adopts a qualitative comparative analysis primarily based on secondary Sources, such as policy documentsUS, legit reviews, and scholarly literature.The findings reveal that the USA emphasizes protecting resilience and international norms, even as Russia makes a speciality of offensive cyber skills and data struggle. Both countries actively combine cyber equipment into their broader country wide protection strategies.The study recommends strengthening worldwide cyber norms, enhancing cooperation on cyber security, and selling self belief building measures to reduce escalation dangers.

Encountering Reverse Culture Shock: A Study on Returnee Faculty Members in Universities of Balochistan, Pakistan

Shakeela Kakar — 2026-01-21

The study explores the challenges that returnees face at universities in reverse culture shock, role of supervisors’ support and the over all impact on job satisfaction and turnover intentions of the returning faculty members. Returnee-faculty of universities tend to leave their institutions and intend to find a better job after completing their foreign degree. This creates problems for universities in Pakistan regarding retaining employees after completion of their degrees abroad. This quantitative research is based on survey data, collected from 160 respondents. Snowball sampling technique was used to collect the data and was analyzed using PLS-SEM technique. Results indicated that the reverse culture shock faced by the returnee-faculty of universities of Baluchistan has a negative impact on job satisfaction and a positive impact on their turnover intentions. However, perceived managerial support does not impact the relationship between reverse culture shock-job satisfaction and reverse culture shock-turnover intention relationships. The findings suggest that the repatriation process of faculty returning after completing degrees from other counties should be made more compatible with the professional and intellectual needs of these faculty members, so that the employee turnover rate in Universities in Pakistan could be reduced.

Irrational Thinking and Social Anxiety Inadults: The Mediating Role of Self Esteem

Tayyba Aslam — 2026-01-22

This study aimed to examine irrational thinking as a belief-level cognitive vulnerability underlying social anxiety in adults, with specific focus on social-evaluative fear. Social anxiety is characterized by fear of negative evaluation and avoidance of social situations, and while cognitive theories emphasize maladaptive appraisals, belief-based vulnerabilities remain underexplored. Using a quantitative cross-sectional correlational design, data were collected from 300 university students aged 20–39 years at the University of Technology. Participants completed standardized self-report measures assessing irrational thinking and social anxiety. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were conducted to examine associations and predictive relationships. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between irrational thinking and social anxiety, with irrational beliefs significantly predicting social anxiety symptoms. Rigid, absolutistic, and catastrophic belief patterns were particularly influential. These findings support belief-based cognitive models and suggest that interventions should target irrational thinking to prevent and reduce social anxiety

The Impact of Money Laundering on Pakistan’s Economic Growth: A Critical Analysis

Waqia Rahat — 2026-01-23

This paper examins the impact of Money laundering on economic growth of Pakistan and the role of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on financial expansion of Pakistan. The processes of money laundering are endangering the economic stability of an economic system by ruining the trust of the potential investor and facilitating a way of transferring money illegally by using non-banking fiscal institutions and transfer of properties and goods. Consequently, the qualitative approach was employed in this research, and the findings were made up of the information gathered with the help of various resources such as journals, internet resources, books, and research papers, all of which also served as secondary sources. The effects that money laundering has had on the economy of Pakistan are not limited to foreign capital, reduced tax revenue, increased degree of corruption as well as the decline of trust and confidence of people on the financial base but the research underlines the significance of fiscal transparency as a motivating factor to legitimate investments in appropriate trade. Some of the recommendations that were formulated during this study were to strengthen anti-money laundering (AML) legislation that runs artificial intelligence, create a due diligence system on client, establish special courts that run anti-money laundering, and sensitization that complies with the requirements of FATF to effected implementation.

Shackled Words Seeking Transcendence: A Postcolonial Existential Feminist Analysis of Faiqa Mansab’s Sufi Storyteller

Saima Bashir — 2026-02-02

This study analyzes Faiqa Mansab’s The Sufi Storyteller through the theoretical lens of Postcolonial Existential Feminism. The Sufi Storyteller foregrounds feminine characters, vanquished by oppressive patriarchal society and post-colonial legacies. By doing a close textual analysis and adopting a qualitative method of research, Gaytri Chakravorty Spivak’s concept of double deprecation of subaltern women and Simon De Beauvoir’s idea of transcendence of women are incorporated to conduct this research. The findings unveil that while women in the novel faces layered of suppression, Sufi storytelling and autonomous means of emancipation becomes source of transcendence, breaking the inflicted restrictions. Role of trauma resulting in silencing and invisibility of women, and the ways to grapple with the traumatic episodes, consequently leading to transforming women’s identity could be the subject of future research.

A Constitutional Analysis of Pakistan’s 26th and 27th Amendments: Implications for Governance and Representation

Rehmat Arif — 2026-02-02

This study investigate the 27th and 26th revisions to Pakistan's constitution along with their possible impact on the governing structure. It looks into how these shifts have altered power dynamics, changed organizational structures, and affected political representation. Implement a qualitative doctrinal methodology, the study exploit constitutional text, parliamentary debates and academic literature. The analysis disclose that modifications introduce major structural and legal implementations with the ability to affects federal and provisional relations, institutional balance and overall structure of governance. These reforms help to address important constitutional and administrative challenges, their impact depends on implementation and sustained political commitment. The findings suggest that the constitutional amendments introduce the legal and structural changes that have ability to control governance outcomes in multiple ways. Moreover, the study also highlight the effectiveness of amendments are not determined by provisions. Their impact depends on the implementation and democratic norms. The study accord the existing literature by offering a focused perspective about these amendments and highlight the relevance for debates on reform in Pakistan.

Balancing Resistance and Engagements: The Politics of Iran Nuclear Policy and US Economic Sanctions

Mobeen Waqar — 2026-02-02

The purpose of this article is to examine Iran's dual strategy of engagement and resistance from 2015 to 2026, alongside the development of its nuclear program and the comprehensive sanctions time introduced by the United States. While previous studies have explored aspects of the Iranian nuclear issue, it remains one of the most complex and ending challenges in contemporary international relations, characterized by a delicate balance between diplomatic neglect and economic pressure. The Iran's nuclear activities, combined with the extensive sanctions enforced by the United States, have consistent drawn international attention and concern. A major diplomatic engagement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) assent in 2015, temporarily limiting Iran's nuclear operations in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the agreement was signifiable undermined by the Trump administration's unilateral withdrawal in 2018 and the subsequent “maximum pressure” campaign, which allowed Iran to progressively expand its nuclear capabilities. Building on early research, this paper focuses on Iran's nuclear strategy and sanctions experience through an analytical review of policy developments, diplomatic negotiations, and sanctions implementation over the 2015–2026 period. Consequent of stalled negotiations, Iran is currently nearer to developing nuclear weapons than at any time since the JCPOA. The proof suggests that, even though sanctions have introduced considerable economic costs, they have been influential to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions without sustained diplomatic engagement. The future of Iran's nuclear strategy will depend on the inference of creative diplomatic solutions that balance coercive pressure with credit assurances, addressing the fundamental trust deficit between Washington and Tehran

Explore the Role of Character in the Perceived Success of 21st Century University Graduates in Pakistan

Irfan Qasim — 2026-02-02

This study aims to explore the role of character development in the perceived success of 21st-century university graduates in Pakistan, with specific focus on moral, emotional, and performance-based traits. Higher education in Pakistan traditionally prioritizes academic achievement, often neglecting character formation. Employers and society increasingly demand graduates who are ethically grounded, emotionally intelligent, and socially responsible. Islamic moral values further shape character expectations within the Pakistani sociocultural context. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions involving graduates, faculty members, employers, policymakers, parents, and religious scholars. Findings identified adaptability, ethical integrity, resilience, emotional intelligence, civic responsibility, and lifelong learning as key traits of graduate success. Islamic values— Amanah, Ihsan, Sabr, and Shukr—emerged as central to character formation. Stakeholders showed strong consensus on the multidimensional nature of character. Universities should integrate character development into curricula and campus culture using the USEM model. Policymakers and employers should collaborate with universities to align academic training with moral and professional expectations.

Analyzing the Socio-Political Impact of Feminist Movements: A Comparative Study of African and American Contexts

Ammara Farooq — 2026-02-03

This paper analyzes and compares how the feminist movement has influenced social, political, and cultural spheres in Africa and the USA. This paper attempts to examine the different impacts and trajectories of the feminist movement in Africa vis a vis the movement in the USA. Uses a comparative qualitative analysis of African and American feminist movements in historical, cultural, and socio-political perspectives. The study finds that although feminist movements in Africa and the USA have made great gains for women's rights, their results vary depending on cultural differences, political, and economical contexts. In Africa, the movement is challenged with context-specific issues, while in the USA, part of the progress is influenced by institutionalized architectures and historical inequalities. Recommendations are made on the need to promote cross-cultural exchanges to advance global feminist solidarity while aligning strategies to address specific sociopolitical and cultural challenges facing women in both Africa and the USA. Further, it calls for strengthening educational and policy frameworks for supporting gender equality within different contexts.

Tourism and Technology: Adaptation Strategies for Sustainable Rural Development in Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan

Faheem Ullah Baig — 2026-02-05

This study contributes the debate on the role of tourism and technology as adaptive strategies in sustainable rural development in Hunza Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Tourism growth, digital connectivity, and increased exposure to global ideas have reshaped local aspirations and development pathways in the last few years.This study employed qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and participant observation to collect date on tourism activities, community experiences, and their socio-economic and developmental impacts in Hunza District, focusing specifically on UDC 2 and UDC. The findings of this study show that links between tourism, technology, and rural development are not too complex to materialize for upgrading the quality of life. It is evident that the concept of rural development has evolved significantly, especially among young entrepreneurs. Moreover, nonprofit organizations (NGOs) have nurtured the ideas of self-help and participatory development among the broader Hunza population through various projects of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP). This study emphasizes the needs of locals, such as skill development, environmental stewardship, community resilience, and the development of entrepreneurial behavior.