New World Dis-Order on October 23, 2023The new world order established at the end of Cold War (CW), under the able leadership of the sole super power of the time, the US, is faced with serious challenges, and has plunged into a dis-order. International institutions responsible for safety and security of the states have failed miserably particularly for the relatively smaller […]
The Role of Character in Islam – II on October 19, 2023In my last week’s Column, The Role of Character in Islam (Part-I), I argued that a child born in a Muslim family begins his/her journey as FAQIR, i.e. Faith in Allah, Quran, Islam, and all Rasul. However, he/she must aim to become the RICHEST (an acronym), which I am going to explain in this short […]
Role of Character in Islam – I on October 9, 2023There is little debate that the character of human being in Islam carries the same weightage as bloodline in our body. It is fundamentally important that a Muslim must strive to become a Momin, so that he/she can reach the pedestal that one must aim for the eternal life. In fact, it is the character […]
Group of 77 plus China on October 2, 2023The renewed Cold War between the developed North and the deprived South is getting interesting with every passing day. The game changer is China’s active leadership as a plus factor. The showdown between Sun Tzu’s precepts of winning the war without fighting, and Machiavellian dicta of selfish power accumulation for security is getting narrower day […]
India and its Proposed Connectivity on September 26, 2023I do not understand the reason why people start thumping their desks whenever they see India at a center stage. One could see the same when India hosted G-20 Summit in New Delhi. India is a big country and home to world’s largest population. It is an important ally of the US, and has close […]
The Power of Irrationalism on September 18, 2023The world might be heading for a greater global crisis due to certain irrational acts of the stakeholders. The fight for the global supremacy between the US-led west and China-led south is getting intensified with every passing day. Perhaps, the time has come to see a showdown between philosophical teachings of Sun Tzu and Machiavelli. […]
‘SHE’ can help Pakistan on September 11, 2023An immediate attention to SHE (Sports, Health, and Education) can still help us recover from the morass Pakistan is facing. I have deliberately placed sports in the beginning to achieve two things: give importance to our female population by using the acronym SHE, and inculcate discipline among our people, through an active participation in sports. […]
BRICS: A Force to Reckon With on September 4, 2023Alliances, Groupings, and Blocs are part of international relations, norms, and practices. These groupings are usually formed between like-minded countries with minimum common interests. Generally, these groups are formed to forge political, economic, ideological, and strategic interests, besides socio-cultural, technological cooperation, arms control, etc. While regional alliances are a common phenomenon, extra-regional and cross-global groupings […]
Proposing New State Pillars for Pakistan on August 14, 2023It has been quite some time since our intelligentsia revisited the conceptual readings given to us by the colonial guards. What I have always read and learned is that there are three pillars of state: Executive, legislative, and Judiciary. Lately, we learned that media is the fourth pillar of any state. Unfortunately, we are just […]
Win the Wars by Other Means on August 7, 2023Carl von Clausewitz, one of the most celebrated and read military strategists of all times, once opined that “War is the continuation of politics by other means.” Read this dictum of Clausewitz in conjunction with another prophetic dictum by Carl von Bismarck that, “Politics is Art of the Possible.” It becomes clear that wars were […]