AJAR | Asian Journal of Academic Research (ISSN: 2790-9379)

Behavioral Dynamics in Urban Traffic: Insights from Islamabad's Road Users

Hassan Shehzad, Shan-e-Zahra — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The traffic pattern in Islamabad represents well cultural practices, the enforcement agents and institutional designs. For instance, where culture disposes individuals to engage in certain ways or behavior patterns, this may encourage aggressive driving where there are perceived gains in terms of productivity or status and insofar as enforcement mechanisms do not properly punish aggressive driving, namely, speeding or overtaking. This research uses Theory of Planned Behavior and Risk Homeostasis Theory to understand how these factors affect driving, pedestrian, and cyclist behavior in relation to road traffic. This study used both close-ended semi-structured interviews combined with quantitative measures of traffic, accident rate, and PM2.5 pollution data. Critical conclusions show that rates of risky actions such as speeding and lane offenses demonstrate strong and unique cultural and psychological predictors. On the psychological level, the feeling that wide roads are safer to drive gives riders a phenomenon of very subjective safety, with a consequent increase in dangerous behavior, such as speeding and aggressive movements. It also exogenous factors that could negatively affect the environment implying noise pollution levels of more than 85dB and PM2.5 of not less than 120µg/m³, which magnify cognitive and safety issues.

The Historical and Political Transformation of Türkiye: An Appraisal

Aasia Khatoon, Sonia — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the historical and political evolution of Türkiye from the late 1940s to the early 21st century, with a focus on the rise and impact of the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP - Justice and Development Party). It traces the dynamics of Turkish politics, the interplay between secularism and Islamism and the socioeconomic reforms introduced by successive governments. The paper explores significant events such as military coups, economic crises and political reforms, highlighting the challenges and transformations that shaped contemporary Türkiye. The AKP came into power in 2001, evolving from various Islamic political parties that had existed since the 1960s. The first of these was the Democratic Party, which was conservative in nature. The AKP shares a similar agenda, aiming to revive Islamic beliefs and traditions. Its primary policy focus has been on fostering cordial relations with both Muslim-majority states and the West. The findings indicate that the AKP's reformist policies, economic success and strategic positioning in regional and global politics have had a profound impact on Türkiye's political landscape.

Military Engagement and its Role in Counter-terrorism

Muhammad Ali Jalal — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The use of military force in combating terrorism has increased in the 21st century. This paper employs a qualitative analytical approach to classify military counter-terrorism engagements into six categories; assistance and protection, preemption, deterrence, retaliation, assassination & targeted killing and war. The research shows that assistance and protection measures are mainly effective in combating terrorism and in reducing the damage caused by terrorist activities. However, deploying a large military force on the streets could be counterproductive. Preemptive operations might eliminate desired targets, but it is difficult to measure their effectiveness in counterterrorist efforts. Deterrence may send a strong message to terrorist groups about a country’s military power, yet it has not been proven to prevent future attacks. Retaliation and assassination could create a martyrdom effect and, in some cases, increase cohesion among terrorist groups. Although wars against terrorist groups have severely weakened their operational capabilities, their complete elimination is yet to be achieved. Military confrontations have been effective in combating terrorism in certain cases and contexts, nevertheless, their effectiveness needs to be studied alongside other counter-terrorism measures, such as cybersecurity operations, international cooperation and counter-terrorism financing.