The visit by the Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Mohammad bin Abdullah al Aeysh comes at a time when the Kingdom remains embroiled in the ongoing war in Yemen. Its relations with Iran, Pakistan’s western neighbour, remain as chequered as they have been since the 1979 revolution. Deepening of defence ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia […]
Putin’s early victory in Syria?
If Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the man of the moment in the Muslim world — then Vladimir Putin is Middle East’s man of the hour. For his country has seemingly done what the Americans — with the full weight of the NATO war machine behind them — had failed to do. Namely, run ISIS out […]
‘Moderation’ in the Kingdom
As a part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 of economic and social reforms, the Saudi government has decided to open movie theatres for the public in early 2018, lifting a 35-year-long ban. The move has been rightly welcomed by rights groups and artists. The crown prince’s statement about ‘returning Saudi Arabia […]
The Israelisation of Palestine
When in November 1917 the Balfour declaration proclaimed by the then British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour in which he suggested a Jewish state in Palestine, the demographic landscape of Palestine which was at that time part of the Ottoman Empire heavily tilted in favour of Arab Muslims who accounted for around 90 percent of […]
‘Mourinho of Pyongyang’ Andersen plots North Korea revival
TOKYO: City slicker Jose Mourinho famously lives in a plush Manchester hotel, but he has nothing on North Korea coach Jorn Andersen – he has a suite in Pyongyang. “It´s a very quiet city, it´s very clean, there´s no crime,” the former Norway international told media in an interview in Tokyo. “I live in a […]
Lesser known victims of Orange Line
With the Supreme Court’s majority judgement in the Orange Line Metro Train project, contractors hired by the provincial government have started demolition work within 200 feet of the proposed track at the 11 sites where work remained suspended during court proceedings. One of the demolition sites near Mauj Darya shrine is Maharaja Building where many […]
No evidence Ashes Test under fixing threat, says ICC
PERTH: The International Cricket Council (ICC) are taking allegations in a British newspaper about attempts to organise spot-fixing during the third Ashes Test “extremely seriously” but do not think the match has been compromised, global cricket’s governing body said on Thursday. The Sun reported that underground bookmakers from India had offered to sell undercover reporters […]
Gas shortage
Sir: There is a shortage of gas supply in Azad Kashmir which is causing many problems for the public. Due to gas shortage the people are suffering from extreme cold, can’t heat up water for bathing and face difficulties in cooking food. Irresponsibly excessive and wasteful usage of gas along with illegal gas connections are […]
Fata reforms
Sir: The Fata reforms bill presented in March, 2017 was a historic moment and equally joyous for every Pakistani as it was going to merge entire tribal areas of 27,200 km area into mainstream of Pakistan. Everyone knows that Fata reform package is by no means a trivial matter. It is a complex task as […]
Birth on-board
Sir: As if the deliveries on the road because of lack of medical facilities were not enough, a woman gave birth on-board a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Multan-bound flight from Saudi Arabia. Labour room on-board the PIA planes is not a bad idea. DR IRFAN ZAFAR N Vancouver, Canada Published in Daily Times, December 15th 2017.