Fathering Pakistan’s foreign policy on August 30, 2018It was just a few days ago that the new Foreign Minister (FM), Shah Mehmood Qureshi aggressively laid claim to taking ownership of foreign policy making. Watching him thump his fist on the dice, I so much wanted him to read legal cases in which parentage is contested between the biological and foster parents. In […]
To Appoint an Ambassador or Not! on March 22, 2018The newly-appointed ambassador to the US, Ali Jahangir Siddiqui, may not be able to make it to Washington after all. It is not just because the National Accountability Bureau summoned him for investigation, but because the country’s centres of gravity in terms of power and foreign policy do not seem to like him. The Foreign […]
The path to tread on August 24, 2017American President Donald Trump seems to have cast a new stone in the Af-Pak lake since he took power early this year. While this may not necessarily denote a major shift in relations, there is a lot between the lines which aught not to be missed as far as a prospective shift in the US […]
How to lose a war without fighting? on August 23, 2017 Sharbat Gull, the Afghan woman who made it to the cover of the National Geographic as a young Afghan refugee in Pakistan, was kept in jail for more than fifteen days. She was not only accused of illegally living in the country but also of forging documents. The hue and cry raised internationally finally […]
With little new info, Davis book refreshes old lessons for Pakistan on July 7, 2017The recent release of the pirated version of American contractor Raymond Davis’s book has yet again exposed Pakistan’s relationship with books. They get spread around like wildfire and are even bought and kept in book shelves, and the conspiracy behind their publication is discussed ad nauseam often turning their publication into a catalyst of interesting, […]
Rangers arrest four suspects on July 1, 2017SHIKARPUR: A heavy contingent of Rangers Shikarpur with the help of Shikarpur police carried out a seven hour long search operation at villages; including Raban Marfani, Mubarak Marfani, Golo Daro and Katcha area of Jahan Waah Police Station, on late other day. According to SSP Shikarpur Zeeshan Siddiquei that Rangers with the help of Shikarpur […]
Parachinar deserves sympathy and security on July 1, 2017 Parachinar has bled again – eighth time in 2017. What has happened will probably continue to happen until the area is seen for Pakistani citizens residing there rather than for its purported strategic value, which is used for internal politics as well as regional geo-politics. Notwithstanding the well-meaning warning of the Army chief that […]
Bahawalpur tragedy: invest in policing and civic education on June 28, 2017 Like people voraciously pounce on wedding feasts, residents of the various bastis (villages) near Ahmedpur East – men, women, children, rich and poor, literate and illiterate –ventured to claim their share of 60,000 litres of oil leaking from a tanker that overturned along the national highway on Sunday. According to sources, soon after the […]