Legality of the Syria strikes — IBy: Imran Jan on April 22, 2018The latest Syria sabre-rattling started with a threat from President Trump. He tweeted that missiles at Syria ‘will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’’ Since Russia is not a defenceless nation, the nasty threat was hurled at her Middle Eastern ally. Assad was threatened because he allegedly committed a crime that western democratic nations rarely ever commit. He killed his own people in a … [Read more...] about Legality of the Syria strikes — I
Castro brothers: the end of an eraBy: Abrahim Shah on April 22, 2018And so the curtain descends on a dynasty that has dominated Cuban politics for nearly sixty years. On Wednesday, the Cuban National Assembly selected current Vice President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez to succeed 86 year old Raul Castro as the Caribbean nation’s new president. Although Raul Castro — Fidel Castro’s younger brother and comrade in the Cuban revolution against former dictator … [Read more...] about Castro brothers: the end of an era
Putin’s growing problems in SyriaBy: Atif Shamim Syed on April 22, 2018Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war in the year 2015 when the regime of President Bashar Al Assad seemed to be at the verge of collapse. Russian air power coupled with the firepower of the foreign militias assembled by the Iranian revolutionary guards and spearheaded by the Lebanese Hezbollah helped turn the tide in Assad’s favour. Posing as Assad’s staunchest ally, Russia blocked every … [Read more...] about Putin’s growing problems in Syria
Literary diplomacyBy: Dr Aftab Husain on April 22, 2018A writer — or to be more precise — a poet with a somewhat provincial outlook, once got a chance to be included in a writers’ delegation that was sent to a neighbouring country. A journey that he still recalls with a nostalgic pride. He considers that event as one of his life achievements: his representing Pakistan abroad, as he calls it. We have mostly been represented by pen-pushers in the past, … [Read more...] about Literary diplomacy
PEMRA is neglecting its role as watchdogBy: Nasir Khan on April 21, 2018Nothing has a greater effect on our lives in this era than science, finance and the media. The media is not just the fourth pillar -- but also the backbone of any democratic society. This is because while the legislature makes the laws, the judiciary interprets it and the executive implements it, it is the media which acts as the watchdog of the three pillars. It ensures that the other three … [Read more...] about PEMRA is neglecting its role as watchdog
Marching for my lifeBy: Manahil Bajwa on April 21, 2018I support gun control with all my heart. As an American brought up in Pakistan, I have experienced the lack of gun control. I have had a gunpoint face-off, and my self-defence was my best friend Khadijah with a shotgun and my driving skills honed since I was 12. Even so, I believe in gun control with every fibre of my being. I did not vote for Donald Trump. But I support him today as the leader … [Read more...] about Marching for my life
Strategy 2033: setting prioritiesBy: Shehbaz Munir on April 21, 2018In its journey of seven decades, Pakistan's political trajectory has been repeatedly marred by martial laws and political disorders. Terrorism and religious extremism has stagnated country's progress and has made quotidian life extremely miserable for common masses. Though the country has seen some charismatic democratic leaders, most of them were trained by dictators. PCO judges made a … [Read more...] about Strategy 2033: setting priorities
The flipside of Indo-Japan relationsBy: Dr Khalil-ur-Rahman Shaikh on April 20, 2018Japan and India enjoy warm and cordial relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1952, their bilateral ties have thrived with the passage of time. More convergence and less divergence have never caused tension between the two countries. There are various reasons for closeness between Japan and India. Firstly, Buddhism is important religion in Japan. It reached there from the … [Read more...] about The flipside of Indo-Japan relations
Prince Salman and the Middle-East conflictBy: Sheraz Zaka on April 20, 2018Recently in an interview, Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Salman expressed his view in a candid manner that like other states, the citizens of Israel also have a right of claiming separate nationhood. However, in order to make it happen successfully, it is the sine qua non that both Israel and Palestine should enter into a peace accord so that both live in a friendly neighbourhood. This is the first … [Read more...] about Prince Salman and the Middle-East conflict
Goodbye MQM-PBy: Muzammil Ferozi on April 20, 2018Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which has been the dominant party in the urban Sindh, has apparently started to lose its strength and political consolidation as a number of senior members of the party are defying its directive and are bidding farewell to it. The drastic change came after the inflammatory speech of its founder Altaf Hussain in August 22, 2016 that led to the attacks on … [Read more...] about Goodbye MQM-P
