The Tale of Siege: Barbwires, Saffron, and Lotus on October 24, 2019For anonymity and his safety, let us call him Omer. He hails from the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK). Omer had last seen his WhatsApp on August 7, 2019 at 0205 Hrs., Indian Standard Time. Day after day, I checked on Omer’s WhatsApp and left him messages. Are you ok? Is your Mother fine? […]
US-Pakistan relations: a cautionary tale, great-power politics, and deft diplomacy on July 24, 2019As U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan meet at the White House on Sunday, July 22, a cautionary tale, great-power politics, and deft diplomacy will be at play. Washington’s agenda will clearly focus on countering terrorism and violent extremism. Equally crucial is ensuring long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan. Eighteen years […]
Pakistani-American diaspora: beyond remittances and entrepreneurship on July 13, 2019The Pakistani-American diaspora awaits as the White House Press Secretary confirms that “President Donald J. Trump will welcome Prime Minister Imran Khan to the White House on July 22, 2019.” This visit will mainly focus on strengthening cooperation between the United States and Pakistan, in order to bring peace, stability, and economic cooperation between the […]
Asma Jahangir: ‘You’ve got to persevere, punch back’ on March 3, 2018In the summer of 2013, I sat with my mentor and friend, Ahmed Rashid, a journalist and writer, the author of the book Taliban, in his Victorian home library in Lahore, Pakistan. Jahangir publicly protested and challenged Zia’s callous regime and its ethical and moral underpinnings. She crossed all barriers and barb wires to raise her voice […]