Did Ayaz Sadiq, as a repository of national interest and secrets, cross red lines? Most probably yes. Did his message synch in with the Indo-US narrative on China? Certainly yes! Did two holders of top positions cross the red lines to exact revenge on an institution that they hold responsible for their plight – an […]
Pak-Afghan relations: keep business and politics separate
After a long time, the vibes accompanying bilateral relations are encouraging. The heavily-attended two-day Pakistan-Afghanistan Trade and Investment conference at Islamabad left positive impressions, and resulted in a number of recommendations for improving bilateral political and trade relations. The conference also highlighted the centrality of the parliament in pushing political and economic agenda. Several times […]
Deadlocked Doha Talks & Continued Uncertainty
Over five weeks into their first face to face meeting, the Afghan government and the Taliban delegations have yet to agree even on the so-called standard operating procedures (SOPs). Quite a dismal outcome of the huddle that began at Doha with big fanfare on September 12. And as the Taliban ramp up their attacks – […]
Pentagon wars meant to please military industrial complex
As Taliban and Kabul government negotiators undergo the compulsory week long Covid-19 induced quarantine, a couple of developments ahead of the impending intra-Afghan negotiations (IAN) are unmistakable; First, Amrullah Saleh, the vice president made a comment that evoked unusually harsh responses not only by several Afghans but also American leaders; “No Afghan politician of national […]
Status Quo & Absence of durable closure
Immediately after the 2002 elections, General Pervez Musharraf called up the maverick MQM leader Altaf Hussein to request him for support in government formation. By doing so Musharraf surprised and shocked many. “How can the head of state call up a person wanted on so many criminal charges,” quipped a German friend then living in […]
Status Quo & Absence of durable closure
Immediately after the 2002 elections, General Pervez Musharraf called up the maverick MQM leader Altaf Hussein to request him for support in government formation. By doing so Musharraf surprised and shocked many. “How can the head of state call up a person wanted on so many criminal charges,” quipped a German friend then living in […]
Open letter to PM, COAS: FBR and police running down Pakistan
Pakistan is currently facing many conspiracies, mostly internal. One of them by the bureaucracy, led by the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR). The objective; to fleece business and corporate sector, hound honest businessmen and scare investors away through an obstructionist policy. No wonder, shipping carriers are leaving this country one by one. IT companies and […]
Ugly Racism rears its head – yet again
“I can’t breathe.” These final words by George Floyd, before he breathed his last, revived bitter memories of a similar ordeal that David Dungay, a 26-year-old Aboriginal man went through in a Sydney prison in 2015. He was being restrained by five guards whose weight and pressure eventually silenced Dungay forever. Floyd, 46, asphyxiated the […]
How Bureaucrats Embarrass Political Bosses?
The constitution of Pakistan is a sacrosanct document which draws its strength from the consensus it enjoys by all and sundry. Its Article 260(3) (b) clearly defines the term “non-Muslim.” “non-Muslim” means a person who is not a Muslim and includes a person belonging to the Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Budhist or Parsi community, a person […]
FBR destroying Pakistan’s interests/image
Let us browse two contrasting stories; Iran – currently under crippling US sanctions – is going out of way to woo Afghan government and traders into the Chabahar Port, offering free land for infrastructure to handle their imports and exports. Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance, on the contrary, is hell-bent to disincentives Afghan Transit and Bilateral […]