A terrible tragedy on May 13, 2015Just when everything seemed to be going good for Pakistan, the MI-17 crash in Naltar brought us literally and figuratively down to earth. What made this great tragedy different was that the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines as well as the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors lost their lives. Several other ambassadors […]
Divisionary tactic backfires on May 6, 2015Producing two hooded terror suspects before the media, Tahir Alias ‘lamba’ (tall) and ‘Mama’ Junaid, purportedly from the MQM, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Malir, Rao Anwar, claimed that they had been trained in India by Indian spy agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing). That RAW has been engaged in terrorist attacks in Pakistan is not […]
Electoral perceptions on April 29, 2015Some interesting perceptions have emerged from the recent NA-246 by-elections and subsequent elections for the Local Bodies (LBs) in 42 cantonments. Giving the Rangers credit, along with Karachi police, they enforced extraordinary security arrangements. Given the MQM’s strength in organising their voters in their stronghold, the NA election result was not a surprise. In contrast, […]
US aid package on April 22, 2015Pakistan’s geostrategic crossroads location, connecting China with South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia, was confirmed by the signing of agreements pertaining to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Islamabad. Envisaging the construction of roads, rails and power plants, nearly $ 35 billion (of $ […]
Double-speak will not do! on April 15, 2015Among the comity of nations perhaps only Pakistan has an inherent and recurring penchant to get into a “heads I lose, tails you win” situation, the developing imbroglio in Yemen being the latest sorry example. As the ‘darlings of the west’ we suffered thousands and thousands of casualties, both civilian and military, taking on the […]
Handle with extra care on April 9, 2015Quickly becoming increasingly dangerous for the region and for Pakistan, the Yemen situation has inherent contradictions and complications that need to be addressed. The Saudis have not minced words in claiming our help, and fast. We can understand their impatience; this is a rather straightforward transaction for them. They pay us for the manpower that […]
Endless domestic grief on April 1, 2015The Middle East has been immersed in turmoil for various reasons ever since the Arab Spring started with Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation in Tunisia on December 18, 2010. Thus, separating the permutations and combinations of allies and foes in any country or sub-region in the Middle East is mindboggling. Beset with multiple crises ourselves, mostly of […]
Accountability process on March 25, 2015The superb military display in Islamabad on March 23 after a seven year hiatus aroused the patriotic fervour of the nation. It also raised a number of questions. Clouding the continuing sacrifice rendered by those marching in columns and flying overhead, was the virtual immunity under the Constitution of the rulers to enrich themselves. Legal […]
Déjà vu Bangladesh model? on February 25, 2015Spiralling from bad to worse, the Bangladesh situation today is a virtual replay of less than a decade ago. Khaleda Zia was in power in 2006 and this time the streets are targeting Hasina Wajed in reverse. With Musharraf trying to stay on forever in Pakistan and widespread speculation about the army in Dhaka similarly […]
Aberations of Agressive on February 4, 2015Trained for guerrilla warfare by Brigadier (later Major General) Orde Wingate at Jhansi in 1942, British India’s 77th Brigade (the Chindits) was a “long range penetration group” with mixed success operating deep behind Japanese lines in Burma. It lost more than a third of their manpower and almost all their equipment. Famous author John Masters […]