Books and ReviewsGovernance/Social
What next in Swat?........................................(Express Tribune, July 23, 2010)
In July 2010 Kalam looks different. Instead of the intimidating bands of Mullah Fazlullah, it is tourists and the army that roam this picturesque windswept valley................................. [ Read Full Story ]
Buying a fake degree and its consequences.......(Express Tribune, July 16, 2010)
It is a moment of shame for Pakistan; the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has informed parliament that the University of Monticello, US ....... [ Read Full Story ]
McChrystal was doomed anyway ................................(Friday Times, July 05, 2010)
McChrystal's announcement of the delay of the Kandahar military operation was a serious blow to his earlier chest-thumping statements in which his staff had touted the Kandahar operation as the "pivotal campaign of the war" ....... [ Read Full Story ]
Pakistan's dueling drones debate.....................(Foreign Policy, July 02, 2010)
While Pakistan's security forces battle al Qaeda-inspired Pakistani Taliban militants in the volatile tribal regions of Bajaur and Orakzai, CIA-operated drones continue chasing foreign al-Qaeda operatives hiding in the wild Waziristan region...... [Read Full Story]
Pakistan's New Networks of Terror.....................(Foreign Policy, June 10, 2010)
It's not just about Waziristan anymore. How the country's various militias are joining forces -- and what it could mean for attacks within the United States........... [Read Full Story]
Media games and the evil hand ................................(Friday Times, May 28, 2010)
The propagation of pro-militant views amounts to betrayal, if not treason when one talks about the interests of this country and its residents. Apologists of this worldview must be exposed and taken to task ....... [ Read Full Story ]
AJK and Pakistan’s security doctrine.........................(Friday Times, May 14, 2010)
Recently, a former Musharraf aide admitted that incessant US pressure resulted in a scaling down of cross-border Jihadi operations ....... [ Read Full Story ]
Security State's perils for citizenry.............................(Weekly Pulse, Apr 23, 2010)
Most of the states in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa that emerged in the aftermath of the post World War 11 went on to become either security states (controlled by a mighty intelligence-security apparatus), ....... [Read Full Story]
Pakistan's Top Challenge........................................(Weekly Pulse, Apr 16, 2010)
The 18th amendment, coupled with the unusual surge in Pakistan’s crackdown against militants in the Kurram, ....... [ Read Full Story ]
Tackling terrorism .....................................................(Friday Times, Apr 16, 2010)
While the short-term counter-insurgency measures are bearing fruit, the medium to long term success would greatly hinge on Pakistani civilian leadership’ s will to address pressing daily life issues of the ‘common man’ ....... [ Read Full Story ]
Motives behind the attack on U.S. consulate in Peshawar.....................(Foreign Policy, Apr 05, 2010)
The Monday attack on the U.S. consulate in Peshawar marked the first most-coordinated and well-planned direct strike on a U.S. interest in Pakistan.......... [Read Full Story]
The strategic hug .....................................................(Friday Times, Apr 02, 2010)
There seems no way around a firm expression of commitment, and demonstration of it, against the lethal trans-boundary fusion of radical militant groups....... [ Read Full Story ]
Window of opportunity for Pakistan?............ (Weekly Pulse, Apr 02, 2010)
After a very long time, Pakistan has got an opportunity that is called the Strategic Dialogue, something the US had began with India in early 2000, immediately after the Kandahar Hijacking episode, that had ended on Dec 31st, 1999. ......[Read Full Story]
Search for reconciliation........................................... (DAWN, Mar 30, 2010)
The idea of reconciliation is gradually picking up steam. President Hamid Karzai’s ‘preliminary talks’ with a delegation of the Hizb-i-Islami in Kabul recently threw some light on the efforts that have been going on behind the scenes for translating the idea into reality.......[Read Full Story]
Al-Qaeda, Anthrax and Afghan Narcotics............. (Weekly Pulse, Mar 26, 2010)
Afghanistan produces between 70-90 % of world’s drugs including heroin, worth at least 65 billion dollars. While human beings consume most of these narcotics, some of them do find use in sedatives medicines, chemicals, ......[Read Full Story]
Karzai courts Hizb-i-Islami............. (Weekly Pulse, Mar 26, 2010)
The news on President Hamid Karzai’s “preliminary talks” with a delegation of the Hizb-i-Islami (March 22nd) , should be a welcome development. The Hezb in fact represents an erst-while radical Islamist force, ......[Read Full Story]
Countering Afghani perceptions of Pakistan............. (Weekly Pulse, Mar 12, 2010)
Irrespective of how Afghan and Pakistani leaders – including Presidents Hamid Karzai and Asif Ali Zardari – characterise their relations, it is a pretty complicated relationship, heavily tainted by suspicion, misgivings,......[Read Full Story]
Challenges in Afghanistan........................................... (DAWN, Mar 06, 2010)
The well-planned assaults around the City Centre shopping complex and the Safi Landmark hotel in Kabul on Feb 26 delivered yet another blow to the Pakistan-Afghanistan-India confidence-building process.......[Read Full Story]
Peshawar and Swat.................................................... (Weekly Pulse, Mar 05, 2010)
Peshawar, spread over 2257 sq kms, and the 5337 sq km Swat valley epitomize the cost that the Northwestern Frontier Province (NWFP) has paid as a consequence of the war that had originated in the early 1980s,......[Read Full Story]
Is North Waziristan next?........................................... (Foreign Policy, Mar 04, 2010)
A day after the Pakistani Army showed off the newly militant-free mountainous Bajaur to journalists, a regiment of tanks rumbled into Miram Shah, the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan.......... [Read Full Story]
Mulla Baradar arrested will it dent insurgency?........ (Weekly Pulse, Feb 26, 2010)
For quite some time the US-led international community expected Pakistan to demonstrate its sincerity in the war against al Qaeda and Taliban being fought on the Afghan soil since October 7, 2001,......[Read Full Story]
Fighting terror Securing Marjah for Obama or Afghans? (Friday Times, Feb 26, 2010)
Some diplomats in Kabul have likened the Marjah operation to the Pakistan Army's Malakand offensive, launched in the first week of May 2009, suggesting that McChrystal was perhaps drawing on the Pakistani counter-insurgency experience....... [ Read Full Story ]
Pakistan Plays Ball...................................................... (Foreign Policy, Feb 24, 2010)
The U.S. intelligence community has long viewed Pakistan's military with suspicion, due to its ties to the Afghan Taliban. Following the
arrest of Mullah Baradar, the Taliban's second in command, that may finally change. ......... [Read Full Story]
Does the US understand Pakistan Strategic Framework better?................................... (Weekly Pulse, Feb 19, 2010)
When, in mid December, 2009, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told US journalists accompanying him he "couldn’t give the Pakistani Army anything but an 'A'" for how they’ve conducted their battle so far (in Swat and Waziristan),” there was a context to it; ......[Read Full Story]
Will the Talks Option succeed? .................................. (Weekly Pulse, Feb 12, 2010)
The message flowing from the London Conference on Jan 28 to pursue talks with “good Taliban” (by driving division within the Mullah Omar-led insurgency through a multi-million dollar Trust)......[Read Full Story]
Hoping to separate Afghan Taliban and Qaida...(THE TIMES OF INDIA , Feb 06, 2010)
The vibes after the London Afghanistan Conference on January 28 are getting clearer by the day. The international community wants to pursue dialogue with the Afghan Taliban to break the cycle of spiraling violence........ [ Read Full Story ]
Dealing with Afghanistan...........................................(Friday Times, Feb 05, 2010)
In the post-London scenario, caution becomes even more necessary; if the international community wants to try the dialogue option, it shall have to lower the temperature by scaling down combat operations....... [ Read Full Story ]
Hakeemullah Mehsud Dead....................................... (Weekly Pulse, Feb 05, 2010)
If Hakeemullah Mehsud is dead, it is good news for Pakistan. If his deputy Qari Hussein Mehsud is also no more, it is even better. This would mean fatal a triple blow to the vicious, al-Qaeda affiliated Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).[Read Full Story]
Death by drone?...................................................... (Foreign Policy, Jan 31, 2010)
If Hakimullah Mehsud is dead, it is good news for Pakistan. If his deputy Qari Hussain Mehsud is also no more, so much the better. This would mean a potentially fatal double blow to the vicious, ......... [Read Full Story]
Matters of trust Why not Pakistan? ..............................(Friday Times,Jan 29, 2010)
Private military contractors constitute an essential element of conflict-resolution and counter-insurgency ........ [ Read Full Story ]
Osama to Obama........................................................ (Weekly Pulse, Jan 29, 2010)
Islamabad - Osama bin Laden’s latest message to President Barack. H. Obama coincided with the British foreign secretary David Miliband stating in.[Read Full Story]
Osama to Obama: Palestine matters....................... (Foreign Policy, Jan 24, 2010)
Osama bin Laden's latest message to President Barack Obama loosely coincided with the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband's visit to Washington, as he stated last week before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that al Qaeda's central command is still present on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, ......... [Read Full Story]
Violence: no end in sight........................................... (DAWN, Jan 05, 2010)
The US and its allies need to review the level of their military engagement in a conflict that is primarily political.[Read Full Story]
Suicide Bombers Sow Terror................................ (Weekly Pulse, Jan 01, 2010)
The year 2009 ended with the deadly suicide strike on the Muharram procession in Karachi. Regardless of who did it, the incident underscored that unscrupulous death merchants continued their demolition and destruction mission in Pakistan[Read Full Story]
How US subverted minds in Af-Pak....................... (Weekly Pulse, Dec 18, 2009)
Clinton’s candid “admission of guilt” largely went unnoticed in the flood of information revolving around America’s current involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. This also merits a look-back in to how the US empire has kept expanding its influence, imposing its will on nations and countries it considers crucial to its own interests.…......... [Read Full Story]
US strategy in Afghanistan Tough times for Pakistan... (Foreign Policy, Dec 11, 2009)
Unless the politicians lead the country from the front, coordinate with the armed forces, forge a consensus response to the Obama Plan and convey it with one voice, Pakistan’s perilous journey, compounded by the ever changing tactics of the invisible enemy, will continue......... [Read Full Story]
Obama spells more trouble for Pakistan.................. (Weekly Pulse, Dec 11, 2009)
We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan…......... [Read Full Story]
Getting a handle on No Man's Land......................... (Weekly Pulse, Nov 25, 2009)
Until the Pakistan army swept into this small valley, Sararogha, surrounded by hills on November 3, it had served as the headquarter of the terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the South Waziristan region......... [Read Full Story]
The Al Qaeda Diaries.......................................... (Foreign Policy, Nov 20, 2009)
Until the Pakistani Army swept into this small, hill-flocked valley on Nov. 3, Sararogha had served as the South Waziristan headquarters of the powerful terrorist group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan-----..... [Read Full Story]
Pakistan under siege.......................................... (Foreign Policy, Oct 16, 2009)
In terror-stricken Pakistan, October 15 broke the record for the number of attacks in a day;.. [Read Full Story]
The South Punjabi Godzillas hit GHQ...................(Weekly Pulse, Oct 15, 2009)
The stunning attack on the General Head Quarters (GHQ) on October 10, and the ensuing 20 hours full of high tension brought home a clear message;.......... [Read Full Story]
The Mess Called Afghanistan...............................(Weekly Pulse, Oct 09, 2009)
The October 4 daring Taliban attack on two American outposts in the Nuristan province,.......... [Read Full Story]
Dynamics of aid Kerry-Lugar aimed at dispiriting the army?(Friday Times,Oct 02, 09)
The conditions laid down in the Kerry-Lugar Bill reflect the US desire to rein in what it considers the source of tension and violence on Pakistan's eastern and western borders: the military establishment........ [ Read Full Story ]
Waziristan`s Wild Card under Siege?..................(Weekly Pulse, Oct 02, 2009)
Pakistan’s embattled army appears set to move into what it calls a “black hole” for security and intelligence forces i.e. South Waziristan.......... [Read Full Story]
The Waziristan wild card..................................... (Foreign Policy, Oct 01, 2009)
Pakistan's embattled army appears set to move into what it calls a "black hole" for security and intelligence forces:.. [Read Full Story]
New Optimism accompanying army actions in Pakistan(Weekly Pulse, Sep 18,2009)
“When the pet develops rabies and starts biting its own mentors, it must be put to sleep, no way around it.”......... [Read Full Story]
US Power,Occupation and Morality..... (Weekly Pulse, Sep 10, 2009)
As the US and British forces battle the hardened Taliban militants and the politico-military surge continues, an independent watchdog group,......... [Read Full Story]
Farce of India's secularism....... (The News, Sep 05, 2009)
Following the summary dismissal of Jaswant Singh from the BJP for praising Jinnah, several questions keep coming to mind as far as the Indian claim to secularism, democracy and socio-economic justice is concerned............ [Read Full Story]
Will Hakimullah fit Baitullah's shoes?..... (Weekly Pulse, Sep 03, 2009)
Two deadly attacks within a space of 24 hours – one in the Khyber agency on Aug 28 and and the other in Mingora/Swat next day took over 40 lives......... [Read Full Story]
Jaswnat's expulsion exposes Indian paradoxes..... (Weekly Pulse, Aug 27, 2009)
A brief visit recently to the bustling Indian capital –New Delhi brought me face to face with some of the contradictions that flow from the attitudes of several right wing Indians, particularly the followers of the embattled (BJP),........ [Read Full Story]
After Baitullah............................. (Foreign Policy, Aug 17, 2009)
As the contest for a successor to Baitullah Mehsud, the maverick warlord from South Waziristan who was reportedly killed by a drone strike in early August,.. [Read Full Story]
Under the Af-Pak club knife....... (The News, Aug 15, 2009)
Almost 15 countries, including the US, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Spain, France, Australia, Japan and Italy, have appointed special envoys to advise on how to help Pakistan sail out of rough waters........... [Read Full Story]
Baitullah Mehsud Pakistan's Prabhakaran?....... (Weekly Pulse, Aug 13, 2009)
Was Baitullah Mehsud – Pakistan’s Prabhakaran (the founder of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam) seeking an independent Islamic Emirate, or a ruthless greedy mercenary to inflict damage on, and destabilize the state of Pakistan?........... [Read Full Story]
What the Death of Pakistan's Public Enemy No. 1 Means....................................(Foreign Policy, Aug 07, 2009)
If Baitullah Mehsud is really dead, it's great news for Pakistan and the United States, and bad news for the militants............ [Read Full Story]
Pakistan and the Af-Pak Club....... (Weekly Pulse, Aug 06, 2009)
The New America Foundation and the Foreign Policy magazine jointly launched a new “Af-Pak Channel” on ForeignPolicy.com on August 4. ........... [Read Full Story]
Insurgency is not invincible....... (Weekly Pulse, July 29, 2009)
Although the army claims considerable victories in the Malakand region, paving way for tens of thousands of families’ ........... [Read Full Story]
Pakistan's insurgency dilemma....... (THE NEWS, July 26, 2009)
One of the major questions facing Pakistan, and intriguing the world, is whether it will be able to overcome the Al-Qaeda-led insurgency soon............ [Read Full Story]
Implications for Pakistan....... (Weekly Pulse, July 23, 2009)
Within two weeks of successfully negotiating with the Central Asian republic Kyrgyzstan, the retention of the Manas air base,........... [Read Full Story]
The sorry tale of Peshawar....... (THE NEWS, July 19, 2009)
Consider this: Shakespeare’s tragic romance Romeo Juliet is on. The auditorium of Peshawar University is the venue, and the university’s English literary society is the organiser. ........... [Read Full Story]
FATA Insurgency and relations with China....... (Weekly Pulse, July 02, 2009)
China is currently quietly pursuing a new role for itself in the Indian Ocean by gradually expanding its maritime capacity........... [Read Full Story]
The year 1979 and its impact......... (Daily DAWN, June 30, 2009)
The current situation is rooted in the events of 1979 but the remedy will have to come from within.................. [ Read Full Story ]
Great China taking great leaps....... (Weekly Pulse, June 18, 2009)
The 8,851-km stretch of the Great Wall perhaps reflects the enormity of China. Once you limb up to the 1,000 meter vintage point of the Great Wall and the guide explains the history and features of this serpent running through the mountains of northern China, .......... [Read Full Story]
Shanghai and Beijing:China's power symbols....... (Weekly Pulse, June 04, 2009)
The post-1949 revolution China was about a ruthless enforcement of Chairman Mao Ze Tung’s Communist ideology....... [Read Full Story]
Pakistan's Hitmen............................. (Weekly Pulse, May 21, 2009)
The moment you begin surfing John Perkins’ “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” (New York Times Best Seller) images of scores of Pakistani rulers start flashing through the mind;...... [Read Full Story]
Correcting the focus......... (Daily DAWN, May 18, 2009)
ALMOST a dozen countries, the US, Canada, Great Britain and Italy among them — have appointed special envoys to advise on how to steer Pakistan out of the woods................. [ Read Full Story ]
Showdown in Swat Striking back at the Taliban ... (The Friday Times, May 15, 2009)
It seems that this time around, the unity of command – army, intelligence, paramilitary and the civilian leadership – guarantees durable and credible success. Failure is not an option........ [ Read Full Story ]
Karzai gains US confidence,becomes a front runner.. (Weekly Pulse, May 14, 2009)
After his Washington visit May 07 – May 09, Hamid Karzai seems to be the strongest candidate again...... [ Read Full Story ]
Troops, militants battle it out as Swati's suffer......... (Weekly Pulse, May 14, 2009)
The story is typical. It is a good, but tragic, illustration of Pakistan's gradual decline from a country that once provided safe haven to more than 3.5 million Afghan refugees into a nation forced to stand back and watch as hundreds of thousands of its own citizens have been turned into internally-displaced people and forced to flee militant gunmen and state forces...... [ Read Full Story ]
Will Pakistan Army look from East to West?......... (Weekly Pulse, May 07, 2009)
More than a week before President Asif Ali Zardari landed in Washington,
President Barack Obama and his associates began upping the ante..... [ Read Full Story ]
Surge alone will not work ......... (The Friday Times, May 8-14, 2009)
The surge in Afghanistan is likely to bring more strain on Pakistan, as militants would begin escaping across the border to recuperate, reorganise and network with like-minded groups........ [ Read Full Story ]
Myth or Reality......... (Weekly Pulse, April 30, 2009)
Beginning with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statement before a Congressional House Committee on April 23, a string of statements – besides Clinton’s – by the US secretaries of state and defence,........ [ Read Full Story ]
Downside of denial......... (The Friday Times, April 24, 2009)
The surrender of Swat is the latest addition to the areas characterised as "ungovernable" by the state of Pakistan itself........ [ Read Full Story ]
Drones are here to operate......... (Weekly Pulse, April 23, 2009)
The US Army is building nearly $4 billion worth of military bases and other facilities in Afghanistan and is planning to start projects costing an additional $1.3 billion in projects this year........ [ Read Full Story ]
Bulldozer diplomacy......... (Daily DAWN, April 20, 2009)
President Asif Ali Zardari, right, meets US Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke in Islamabad....... [ Read Full Story ]
Obama's Af-Pak: Bulldozer Diplomacy:......... (Weekly Pulse, April 16, 2009)
Pak-US relations are once again strained. The issue of drone strikes is
driving them away from each other. On 2nd April a bill named the Pakistan
Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement...... [ Read Full Story ]
US wants ISI reforms ......... (Weekly Pulse, April 15, 2009)
During their Pakistan stay, Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman Joints Chiefs of Staff and Richard Holbrook, once again reiterated their commitment to Pakistan’s stability and promised all they can to protect the country against radical forces...... [ Read Full Story ]
Can the Region Take a Lead? ......... (Weekly Pulse, April 15, 2009)
Afghanistan continues to burn under violence. So does Pakistan. And the entire region is feeling the heat, with serious repercussions for the neighbouring countries such as Iran, India and China. The US-led NATO forces, the statistics shows, have thus far failed in achieving the objectives they had set themselves in October 2001..... [ Read Full Story ]
Creeping monster and state of denial ......... (Weekly Pulse, April 02, 2009)
The statistics is mind-boggling; 19 suicide strikes, at least 16 bomb attacks, as many as nine drone attacks between January and March 30. By end of March casualties off these incidents crossed 750. .............. [ Read Full Story ]
Expansion of war theatre......... (DAWN Newspaper, March 27, 2009)
“PAKISTAN has 173 million people, 100 nuclear weapons, an army bigger than the US Army, and Al Qaeda headquarters sitting right there in the two-thirds of the country the government doesn’t control.”.......... [ Read Full Story ]
The new US policy & expanding war theatre......... (Weekly Pulse, March 26, 2009)
Days before he formally unveils his report to President Barack Obama, and shares it with NATO members, Richard Holbrook, the special envoy for the region, has made it clear what awaits Pakistan in the months.......... [ Read Full Story ]
An epoch-making struggle................................ (Weekly Pulse, March 19, 2009)
Regardless of the political knit-picking for the proposed 18th Amendment that is likely to take centre stage in and on the fringes of the parliament in the weeks and months ahead, the lawyers’ movement,.......... [ Read Full Story ]
The Hall of Shame................................ (Weekly Pulse, March 12, 2009)
“What a drama going on in Pakistan; no one bothers about Pakistan. Here when people of different countries ask us about what is going on in Pakistan, we feel ashamed and frustrated.”.......... [ Read Full Story ]
Limping back to peace............................ (Weekly Pulse, March 05, 2009)
In September 2008, Maj-GenTariq Khan, the stocky Inspector General of the Frontier Corpse, had declared the military-FC assault on the militants as the test of the security forces’ ability to regain lost territories.......... [ Read Full Story ]
The state fails again................................. (Weekly Pulse, March 05, 2009)
If the attack on the Sri Lankan team convoy in Lahore on March 3, and the suicide strike at a madressah in Pishin, Balochistan, were any indicators to go by, the recent claims of successes in the tribal areas at best offer.......... [ Read Full Story ]
Peace in Swat:Move in Isolation or a New Strategy?(Weekly Pulse, Feb 26, 2009)
The military has stopped firing “miscreants’ positions” in Swat. The miscreants, on their part declared ceasefire – not only in Swat, but also in the neighbouring Bajaur Agency. Almost coinciding with the Maulana Sufi Mohammad-Fazlullah.......... [ Read Full Story ]
Sharia law: Surrender or Survival gimmick?(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Feb 20, 2009)
Is it a step in the right direction, or much ado about nothing? Is it a survival gimmick or surrender to maverick mullas? Is it a deal to secure Swat and FATA from Taliban or a shot in despair using the shoulders of a politically toothless.......... [ Read Full Story ]
Will army and ISI escape the Indo-US gaze?(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Feb 12, 2009)
The Pakistani response to the Indian Dossier on the November 26 Mumbai Terror attacks is out. While Pakistani civilian and military authorities struck a note of unity through the Cabinet Committee on Defense, also attended by the Army Chief, General Ashfaq Kayani.......... [ Read Full Story ]
Pressure or Fatigue.....................(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Feb 05, 2009)
Recently, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer issued a stinging public indictment of the situation in Afghanistan. The basic problem in Afghanistan is not too much Taliban;......... [ Read Full Story ]
Can we regain the "Paradise Lost"?........(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Jan 29, 2009)
The demolition of schools in Swat continues (over 180 destroyed sofar). The police and the civilian administration is practically dysfunctional, the army and the Frontier Corps are holding on to some of the strategic territories with......... [ Read Full Story ]
Swat the'Zibahkhana Chowk'of Pakis........(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Jan 22, 2009)
Pakistan’s mountainous and picturesque Swat Region in the northwest continues to seethe in violence. Famed as "Pakistan’s Switzerland” for its meadows, majestic mountain peaks, lakes and the ski resort at Malam Jabba......... [ Read Full Story ]
Peshawar under Siege?........(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Jan 16, 2009)
The Taliban rampage in Mohmand and Kurram agencies in recent days as well as the scare the militants sowed in the hearts and minds of people in cities such as Peshawar and Swat gives way to the question whether......... [ Read Full Story ]
Difficult year behind,challenging one ahead..(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Jan 06, 2009)
Religiously-toned violence, political uncertainty, financial crisis, power shortages, extremely poor law and order situation and deficient governance
marked 2008 as yet another turbulent and hopeless......... [ Read Full Story ]
Can Obama engineer a change in Afghan.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Jan 02, 2009)
Despite massive international goodwill, backed up by billions of dollars worth of aid and over 70,000 foreign troops scouring every nook and corner, Afghanistan remained volatile and violent during 2008. ......... [ Read Full Story ]
US-NATO in the eye of Taliban storm.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Dec 18, 2008)
Within first two weeks of December, militants carried out multiple strikes, most of them in and around Peshawar, to convey they can hit targets at will. More than 300 humwees and armoured personnel carriers, ......... [ Read Full Story ]
Allegations vs Indian Intelligence Failure.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Dec 04, 2008)
Many among the Indian political leadership and the media continue to cry foul as pampered children. Within a couple of hours of the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan's name was all over. ......... [ Read Full Story ]
Foreign Junkets at Tax Payers's Cost.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Nov 20, 2008)
The stories that are gradually surfacing about the years under General Musharraf, or the course of events that we have seen since February 18 elections, clearly demonstrate that the malaise Pakistan suffers from is absence of moral scruples within the ruling elite,......... [ Read Full Story ]
The Obama'Petraeus strategy for Pakistan.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Nov 13,08)
The euphoria following Barack Obama's victory is now gradually giving way to the formation of teams which will get together to realize the promises made during the long campaign and assess new problems facing the United States in the aftermath of the financial crisis......... [ Read Full Story ]
More trouble for Afghanistan and Wazir.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Nov 06, 2008)
The day General David Petraeus assumed leadership of the US Central Command i.e. Oct 31st, US drones fired missiles on targets in North and South Waziristan agencies, killing 32 mainly Al Qaeda terrorists and injuring a key Taliban commander. Two missiles hit a pick-up truck and a house west of Mir Ali in North Waziristan......... [ Read Full Story ]
Tribute to history:The Swedish way.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Oct 23, 2008)
What drives the high-tech Sweden? Passion, Patriotism, and hard work. Ericsson, SAAB, Volvo, SAS. All these brands are synonymous with Sweden, a beautiful country with less than ten million inhabitants, who live in a welfare state which is part of the European Union, but not of the Currency Union......... [ Read Full Story ]
Balochistan next after FATA?...(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Oct 16, 2008)
What is Balochistan: Security threat in Balochistan has been purely political with Baloch nationalists waging war against the federation in their bid to claim more rights on the natural resources that are reportedly in abundance........ [ Read Full Story ]
The Battle for Bajaur...(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Oct 09, 2008)
The battle for Bajaur is raging. It is a test case for Pakistan's capability to regain control of the embattled agency, as put by Maj-Gen Tariq Khan, the inspector general of the Frontier Corps........ [ Read Full Story ]
9/20 an open war on Pakistan...(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Sep 24, 2008)
If the 9/11 events in 2001 changed the security paradigm in the United States and elsewhere, the 9/20 deadly attack on Islamabad’s five-star Marriott Hotel meant the same to the state of Pakistan........ [ Read Full Story ]
The Mayhem that I experienced...(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Sep 24, 2008)
September 20 was my third experience as part of a story, rather than being on the spot for the story after the event; in May 1994, while heading a TV crew near Pule Khumri north of Kabul, we got caught up in an intense cross fire....... [ Read Full Story ]
US endangering regional stability....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Sep 18, 2008)
The fears of so-called encirclement of Pakistan by Afghan-Indo-US alliance might force the ISI into reviving its old cold-war approach that had traditionally relied on a proxy war through "strategic assets". ....... [ Read Full Story ]
Carte Blanche for US in Afghanistan.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Sep 11, 2008)
Seven years after terrorists struck at the symbol of American might – the World Trade Centre and Pentagon – and the questionable war against terrorism began, Afghanistan remains in the grip of ever mounting violence ....... [ Read Full Story ]
Georgian crisis:Russia challenges.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Sep 04, 2008)
Kremlin hawks are thankful to President George W. Bush for inventing the doctrine of preemptive strikes in the conduct of foreign policy. Bush also set a dangerous precedent by invading Iraq, toppling the regime,....... [ Read Full Story ]
The Zardari,Nawaz Battle.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Aug 28, 2008)
Is Pakistan heading for the bad old days of a fractious political landscape – witnessed in the late 1980s and 1990s - following the walkout of one of the main partners of the coalition government?....... [ Read Full Story ]
ISI-In the eye of the storm.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Aug 21, 2008)
Following the exit of Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s ascendant ruling coalition faces numerous daunting challenges, arresting the economic downslide being the most pressing because it is affecting the dominant majority of Pakistanis. Fuel and food inflation coupled with severe power outages....... [ Read Full Story ]
Ex-spymasters regret helping Musharraf.....(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad Aug 15, 2008)
FLASHBACK: Nov 3, 1999. Camp Office, Rawalpindi. General Pervez Musharraf, the chief executive, had just concluded an interview with the CNN. Exuding confidence, Musharraf promised he would turn every thing upside down – for the better of the country. “You will see how our monitoring teams will fix problems and rid the country of corruption,” he had boasted. He also regurgitated his pet theme of “accountability and replacing sham democracy with real democracy.”....... [ Read Full Story ]
Who is winning:state or Taliban?.......(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad July 31, 2008)
If a recent analytical report by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) (Taliban Propaganda: Winning the War of Words?) were any indicator, the Taliban managed to stage the same – at least in Peshawar also; instilling fear of advancing Taliban and creating an impression they are....... [ Read Full Story ]
Reviewing the PPP and PML in Pak.......(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad July 18, 2008)
The PPP has been out of power for 12 years. For a decade, the PPP's leadership has either been in exile or in jail. It now seems that the PPP is having difficulty grasping the emergence of at least two new centers of power — the electronic media and the lawyers' community both as parts of the new, reawakened civil society....... [ Read Full Story ]
War on Terror eroding rule of law... (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad July 10, 2008)
On July 4, another 22 civilians, including women and children, fell to an air strike by U.S.-led forces on Friday in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nuristan. International wire services reported that the attack happened on a road in Want district while the noncombatants were traveling in two vehicles....... [ Read Full Story ]
Saving Musharraf important than Pakistan (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad June 12, 2008)
While Pakistan continues to reel under the consequences of Shaukat
Aziz’s short-sighted and self-promoting finance management policies and
financial, energy and politico-judicial crisis is giving way to alarm
and uncertainty..... [ Read Full Story ]
Confessions of a spymaster (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad May 26, 2008)
Here is a shocking but sad account of an encounter with a senior officer of one of the army intelligence agencies. While it shows the deep involvement of the intelligence agencies in national politics..... [ Read Full Story ]
Canada and the troubled Pak-Afghan...(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad April 25, 2008)
Canada currently maintains 2,500 soldiers in the embattled Afghanistan’s Kandahar region, many of whom are running one of the 26 Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) as well. Besides, Canada emerged as the third largest donor in 2007,..... [ Read Full Story ]
Tribal areas craving for FCR abolition (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad April 10, 2008)
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s promise to change the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) on March 29 has sparked a countrywide debate as to whether at all the new government would be able to secure a consensus............ [ Read Full Story ]
American recipe, Pakistani ingredients (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad March 27, 2008)
Long before the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) decided to distance itself from the King's Party – the beleagured Q-League – and throw its weight behind the Asif Zardari-driven coalition government, US power brokers............ [ Read Full Story ]
New Turn in Violence (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad March 13, 2008)
Two terror strikes in Lahore on March 11 – one on the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) building - raise more questions than answers to possible preemptive remedies. They also underscore a definite new turn in violence for the worse;............ [ Read Full Story ]
Post-election scenario and Pakistan's(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad March 06, 2008)
Much before the February 18 elections, many world capitals, had been pondering as to which direction Pakistan will take in the post election days and weeks. Many also wondered as to whether the polls,............ [ Read Full Story ]
Pakistan's reality defies Musharraf's...(Weekly Pulse, Islamabad February 07, 2008)
President Musharraf's European visit came at a time when Pakistan is facing a bitter uncertainty on a majority of its domestic and international fronts. At home the nation faces political and administrative mismanagement on wheat flour.......... [ Read Full Story ]
Bloody 2007: Pakistan bears.... (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad January 17, 2008)
The war on terror began with the bombing of Taliban strategic positions on Oct 7, 2001. Over six years on, Taliban and their ideological partners - al-Qaeda operatives – continue to challenge the US-led 43,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan............ [ Read Full Story ]
Charsadda Attack: Crime Foretold (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad January 03, 2008)
Was the December 21, 2007 Charsadda attack part of a strategy by the surging Pakistani Taliban to surround Peshawar with a ring of destabilisation, rather than an attempt to take out Aftab Ahmad Sherpao, the former interior minister............ [ Read Full Story ]
Crisis of Conscience vs Skewed... (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad December 21, 2007)
Let us consider the following as a starting point before we speak of conscience and accountability, as our leaders pontificate:
............ [ Read Full Story ]
Musharraf-led dispensation (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad December 06, 2007)
The South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) conference on Media Freedom and Security in Islamabad (Nov 30 – Dec 1) offered a forum to some of stakeholders of the current day Pakistan -- media persons, intellectuals, ........... [ Read Full Story ]
Don doffs skin -- What next? (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad November 29, 2007)
General Pervez Musharraf created history when he finally doffed his “second skin” after heading the mighty military establishment for little over 9 years and opted to move into the Presidential Palace in Islamabad;........... [ Read Full Story ]
Under Siege in Own Country (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad November 22, 2007)
The cat and mouse chase between the Pakistan army and the militants of the Tehrike Nifaze Shariate Mohammedi (TNSM) continues. Zealots of Maulvi Fazllullah keep moving from one town to the other, leaving their footprints........... [ Read Full Story ]
Musharraf's self-defeating ... (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad November 08, 2007)
“For more than five months the United States has been trying to orchestrate a political transition in Pakistan that would manage to somehow keep Gen. Pervez Musharraf in power without making a mockery of ........... [ Read Full Story ]
Militant future staring Pakistan in face (Weekly Pulse, Islamabad October 24, 2007)
All the developments of the past few days underscore one bitter reality; Pakistan is in for a protracted phase of militancy – a conflict between pro and anti-Musharraf forces. By implication a collision of interests and perceptions ........... [ Read Full Story ]
Sovereignty versus Sinister politics (Weekly Pulse, 06 October 2007)
The vibes are crystal clear meanwhile. Benazir Bhutto is set to return to Pakistan next month. The Bush administration firmly stands behind President Pervez Musharraf as well as his "deal with Bhutto". On the face of it, the administration considers Musharraf's continuity on top of the Pakistani government as critical to its war against terrorism. The support also seems to flow from the realization that any attempt to shuffle the Musharraf-led apple-cart might also derail the war against elements which have now struck at the heart of the Pak-US anti-terror cooperation: [ Read Full Story ]
Inhumanity of organ trade (The News, 13 August 2007)
Looking at the cases the Supreme Court is dealing with, one could comfortably say that the government as such has failed to address issues vital to the nation — health, environment, historical heritage —and every body is looking up to the apex court for relief. Claims of good governance, local government and service delivery appear to pale in the face of some harsh realities. ... [ Read Full Story ]
Wave of suicide attacks (24-July-2007, The News)
"The vibes are not promising at all; in the first 19 days of July, ideologically driven, anti-US Islamic militants have put down about 200 people in 14 suicide and sniper attacks in the violence ridden Waziristan region, Swat, Hub, Peshawar and Islamabad. A day after the Red Mosque operation, ... [ Read Full Story ]
Power and political crisis (25-June-2007, The News)
Pakistan is experiencing the hottest summer ever — both politically as well as meteorologically; the controversy that began on March 9 with the suspension of the Chief Justice continues to generate heat and has obviously discomforted the ruling elite to the extent that Mushahid Hussein ... [ Read Full Story ]
The cost of too many consultants (5-June-2007, The News)
Pakistan is currently witnessing a galore of consultants -- both from the private sector as well as from within the government. They are able to turn around even worst situations and hence a source of strength and new vision for respective departments, so runs the argument in favour of consultants being hired at hefty emoluments. [ Read Full Story ]
Applying for a Schengen visa (29-March-2007, The News)
Germany currently holds the European Union’s presidency. Its ambassador in Islamabad Gunter Mulack is trying hard to build bridges and remove misgivings about Germany as well as other EU members. But the extremely stringent and exclusive visa regime currently in place and the contempt with which most EU visa officers treat Pakistanis put all the attempts to build bridges to real test. [ Read Full Story ]
Implications of US-Iran stand-off (15-March-2007, The News)
The United States' multi-pronged campaign against the Iranian enrichment endeavour continues full throttle. On March 8, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unanimously approved major cuts in aid to Iran as part of United Nations sanctions on the Islamic Republic for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. Speaking for the European Union, German ambassador to the IAEA, Peter Gottwald [ Read Full Story ]
Accountability of public money
China boasts a population of over a billion people. Its external trade has crossed the trillion dollar mark and foreign exchange reserves are swelling with hundreds of billions of dollars. Yet, president Hu Jintao took about 30 officials -- ministers, advisors, bureaucrats -- with him on his four-country trip i.e. Laos, Vietnam, India and Pakistan. What did he go back with? Free trade agreements with India and Pakistan, dozens of agreements for Chinese business and investment promotion in both countries, and scores of orders for hi-tech Chinese products including fighter aircraft. [ Read Full Story ]
What NWFP's politicians need to do
On Dec. 2 Chief Minister Mohammad Akram Durrani threatened to stage a protest demonstration in front of the Prime Minister's House if WAPDA failed to pay Rs24 billion in power royalties to the Frontier Province. Durrani also announced some projects like a gas distribution network for the gas being exploited from Karak and said he hoped new aircraft would help in the resumption of Saidoo, ... [ Read Full Story ]
Realities of life
The end of Mirza Tahir Hussain's 18 year long ordeal came as a big relief for every body concerned about Pakistan's judicial and police system. Though the family of Hussain's victim, Jamshed Khan, took swipes at the government for 'preventing justice,' the flight into freedom to his home in Leeds means the beginning of a new life for Hussain. His release after protracted detention ... [ Read Full Story ]
Improving Pakistan's bad global image
Despite five years of relentless efforts against terror networks and scores of measures revolving around General Musharraf's theme of "enlightened moderation", Pakistan continues to reel under the pressure of preconceived notions that defined its character and image even before 9/11. In fact, some of the notions have gained strength over the years. As a result, Pakistan's image abroad, in western capitals in particular, is one of a country ... [ Read Full Story ]
Taken for a ride
In July of this year the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), headed by a retired Pakistan Navy official, floated a pre-qualification of contractors’ tender for retrofitting/strengthening of its building off Jinnah Avenue. The job included shear walls, MS plate jacketing for beams and concrete jacketing for columns of the said headquarter building. ... [ Read Full Story ]
Vandalizing nature
The collapse last week of an eight-storey building near the General Post Office in Murree did not come as a surprise. Such accidents are in fact inherent in the style and quality of construction, particularly in that geologically fragile region. In fact the British colonial rulers, in view of their expertise, had devised clear bye-laws for construction to prevent disasters. These permit lightweight structures only with a height of up to 25 feet. But if we look around, scores of multiple storey structures today ruin the natural beauty of towns like Murree, Abottabad and the Galiat region. ... [ Read Full Story ]
Governance and local government
August 13 was another rainy day in Karachi, another experience of submerged roads and streets. And yet more power outages forcing the people of Qayyumabad and several other areas near Defence out onto the streets in protest. The angry crowd vented its emotions by stoning vehicles and burning of tyres. ... [ Read Full Story ]