What's at stake in Pakistan's upcoming parliamentary elections? Should the West be concerned about a possible military-backed government and its impact on Afghanistan's security and South Asia's geopolitics? An analysis by Shamil ShamsMore

Disinformation has become a serious problem in India. The ruling partyʹs ideology is divisive and relies on self-serving myths. Fact-based, public-interest journalism is increasingly on the defensive, says Indian television journalist Arfa Khanum SherwaniMore

Bollywood pop songs are currently fostering an Indian Sufi revival. Adored by millions, the music, spearheaded by A. R. Rahman, promotes a message of love and tolerance in the tradition of the Islamic mystics. By Marian BrehmerMore

Known for his work on identity politics and political economy, Mujibur Rehman most recently published 'Communalism in postcolonial India′, which addresses the rise of religious fundamentalism in India. In Bonn to lecture on cow vigilantism, he spoke to Roma Rajpal Weiss about the situation of the sub-continent's Muslim minorityMore

India′s Supreme Court recently declared the Islamic practice of "instant divorce" to be anti-constitutional. The judges argued that since ″triple talaq″ is not an integral part of the Muslim faith, it is not subject to protection under the principle of religious freedom. Ronald Meinardus reports from New DelhiMore

Victims of what they regard as archaic family law, many of India's Muslims are fed up. With their cause now being championed, rather ironically, by the Hindu nationalist BJP, they are hoping for an end to what critics refer to as "religious apartheid″. By Ronald MeinardusMore

Sinha′s novel ″Erschlagt die Armen!″ is based on her personal experience of working in a French agency where refugees apply for political asylum. Flying in the face of political correctness, the book has now won her a major literature prize. Interview by Sabine PeschelMore