Marvi Sirmed

The recent release of Malik Ishaq, the prime accused in over 40 cases of terrorism, would have been a shock had one not been aware of the legal mess and half-hearted political will to counter terrorism in Pakistan. Acquittals of the militants accused of various terrorist acts of 2008’s attacks on Mumbai as well as […]

The heaven that Swat once was for tourists, once again opened itself to an assortment of national and international scholars, analysts, media persons, civil society representatives and politicians from all over Pakistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) organised a three-day long national seminar on de-radicalisation attended by the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief of Army […]

The White House announced its new National Strategy for Counter-Terrorism (NSCT) on Wednesday, June 29, outlining broad features of the US policy in fighting the war on terror. The Counter-Terrorism (CT) king in the Obama administration, John Brennan, while spelling out the contours of the NSCT, made the transformation of US policy from Counter-Insurgency (COIN) […]

Breathing in 2011, one would not doubt Francis Bacon, a 17th century English philosopher, scientist, statesman and alleged Rosicrucian, when he said, “Lies are sufficient to breed opinion.” But when he said, “Opinion brings on substance,” one would think again. In an age of crafting and manipulation of public opinion, expecting substance would be as […]

A rather belated but widely speculated announcement of Zawahiri’s ascension to the terror throne hit the counter-terrorism amphitheatre last week. The announcement came about around six weeks after the killing of former al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden in an operation by the US Navy SEALs in Abbottabad on May 2. While the delay in […]

Dubious policies of the uniformed establishment, their unchallenged influence on strategic decision making of the country and their sickening obsession with ‘security’ from foreign elements and from regional enemies is now being questioned. Not only that, the efficiency, preparedness and professionalism of this unbridled holy cow is under public criticism. Although public denigration of the […]

Last week started with yet another disgrace inflicted upon Pakistan’s security forces in particular and the entire nation in general by the militants our armed forces are fighting or not fighting in the northwest of the country. With every coming day a new slur came about from the terrorists — all against the people and/or […]

Just when one thought it is over and things have started getting easier, a new torrent is ready to unleash a new set of embarrassments. The bombshell of leaked electronic records of communication to and from the US Embassy in Islamabad has hit multiple targets including the righteous face of some political parties and that […]

Following the decision of the Parliamentary Commission on the Implementation of the Eighteenth Amendment (PCIEA), the federal cabinet approved the devolution of five ministries to the provinces, including the ministry of education. While news anchors started steaming on their pulpits about the ‘devolution of the HEC’, one was compelled to see the issue with objectivity, […]

Last week was all taken up by the anti-drone sit-in initiated by Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), joined by Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Marvi Memon of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q). In a declaration passed on the second day of the sit-in, Imran Khan expressed his angst over […]