Malik Muhammad Ashraf

Management of an economy in the modern era due to its connectivity with the global economic environment and a host of convoluted factors on the internal front is indeed an arduous task, particularly in countries like Pakistan hamstrung by resource constraints, a well-entrenched culture of tax evasion and political resistance to economic reforms. Nevertheless, it […]

In a brazen and blatant breach of the Indian Independence Act and the Partition Plan, India tried to incorporate Kashmir into the Indian Union through force and landed its troops in Srinagar on 27th October 1947. The action, as claimed by India, was taken on the basis of an instrument of accession that the ruler […]

After having failed to dislodge the Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PML-N) government through the longest ever sit-in at Islamabad — which many believed was a well-orchestrated conspiracy backed and financed by internal and external elements inimical to democracy — Imran Khan is poised to stage yet another sit-in on 2nd November, ostensibly till the time the […]

The relations between Pakistan and China are beyond the realm of normal diplomatic ties, and no terminology in the diplomatic parlance can really explain the nature of these bonds. China is not only a true friend but also a benefactor of Pakistan. The diplomatic relations established in 1951 have developed into an impregnable, vibrant and […]

Peace, security and economic progress in South Asia — which houses one-fifth of the world population — remains hostage to the Indian ambition to dominate the region. Since independence India has been projecting itself as a dominant military power exploiting geo-political fault lines, which adequately provide an insight into India’s disputes with its neighbours including […]

Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department Mark Toner, briefing the newsmen on Monday in the context of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, said: “Pakistan is fighting a serious and sustained campaign against violent extremism. We do believe that they are making progress and taking steps to counter terrorist violence, but at the same […]

As soon as the attack on the Indian army base in Uri happened, the Indian government and media immediately pointed an accusing finger towards Pakistan maintaining that the attackers had infiltrated from Pakistan. The incident is being used to rub in the notion that the current uprising in Kashmir was Pakistani sponsored terrorism, and therefore […]

Notwithstanding the scepticism expressed by opponents of government and cynical assertions about its achievements during the last three years, it is hard to contest the claims of the prime minister when he says that Pakistan is striding on the path of peace and prosperity, and is well poised to become the economic hub for the […]

While the public response to the anti-government rallies in Lahore and Rawalpindi on the 3rd of September organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), and Awami Muslim League has not been so overwhelming and spontaneous as the organisers expected, there is nevertheless a probability that things might take an ugly turn when […]

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) arguably is the pivot of the Chinese One Road One Belt initiative, which envisages not only the revival of the centuries’ old Silk Road (for trade and cultural interaction) but also a participatory process of sharing the fruits of economic development made possible by regional and global linkages that it […]