Parachinar cries, yet no one listens on June 27, 2017Pakistan yesterday marked a grim start to Eid, mainly due to a deadly inferno killing more than 150 people in Bahawalpur. It was hard to ignore and also digest images of charred bodies of poor people merely hoping to collect a litre or two of free fuel. It was equally sad to learn that many people […]
Reviving Pakhtun Jirga on May 23, 2017It has been argued that one of the biggest downsides of colonialism, which may persist in post-colonial societies, has been the undermining of indigenous methods of conflict resolution. With the advent of liberal institutions and international peace, it was assumed that Western models of conflict resolution were not only effective but also universally applicable to […]
Pakistan: an overdeveloped post-colonial state on April 7, 2017When it comes to political debates and discourse, Pakistanis, like many other nations, believe that they know just about everything regarding the state of affairs and politics in their country. Very little, or no, attention is given to the pre-partition political past, and how the country ended up with weak democratic structures. Also, our oversimplification […]
Pakistan and Nuclear Suppliers Group on March 24, 2017Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs, on March 14, reaffirmed his country’s responsibility to prevent its nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of non-state actors. Aziz made this commitment in a keynote address at a seminar organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disarmament […]
The fantasy of peace talks with Pakistani Talibann on April 26, 2016A private television network in Pakistan recently claimed that Taliban are ready to hold peace talks with three renowned political leaders of Pakistan, namely, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and Syed Munawar Hussain. The news did not bring much surprise as indications of peace talks from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) started coming a few weeks […]
The fantasy of peace talks with Pakistani Taliban on April 26, 2016A private television network in Pakistan recently claimed that Taliban are ready to hold peace talks with three renowned political leaders of Pakistan, namely, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and Syed Munawar Hussain. The news did not bring much surprise as indications of peace talks from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) started coming a few weeks […]
Saudi-Turkish alliance helping US cause in Syria on April 22, 2016According to a latest report published by The New York Times and The International Herald Tribune, USA, through CIA, is reported to be supporting arms supply to Syrian rebels. Not only CIA, but Turkey and Saudi Arabia are also actively participating in fuelling the rebellion against the Assad regime. Saudi Arabia is purchasing arms in […]
Impact of global geopolitics on regional politics on April 21, 2016The international focus on security and peace has mainly emphasised countering militancy through the use of force. There has been no emphasis laid on the fact that force alone cannot be used to counter militancy or fight radicalisation. With this global focus on militancy and the war on terror, there is still an unfocused area […]
US demand for Dr Shakeel on April 20, 2016It is no longer a secret that the US is going full throttle to push Pakistan for releasing Dr Shakeel, a medical doctor who allegedly helped track down Osama bin Laden, after he was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison on a charge of treason by a tribal court. The Pakistan army as […]
Conspiracy theories surrounding Malala Yousafzai on April 19, 2016It was a very tragic event when Malala Yousafzai, a peace harbinger, was brutally shot along with other girls in Swat and is currently in a critical condition undergoing intense treatment in the UK. The Taliban were blatant enough to accept the responsibility for the attack, citing that the 14-year-old girl was a US agent […]