Where is the state? on November 17, 2017By paralysing the parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi for several days by a newly formed Islamic extremist group Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah, the writ of the state has been challenged and exposed. The so-called long march of that group from Lahore to Islamabad tried to exert pressure on the government to accept their demands like […]
Growing Pakistan-Bangladesh schism on November 10, 2017Apart from Afghanistan and India, Bangladesh is another country in South Asia whose relations with Pakistan are not friendly and normal. Recent schism in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations occurred when on October 31 Pakistan High Commissioner Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui was summoned in Bangladesh Foreign Ministry and handed over a strong protest note in which Dhaka demanded that Islamabad […]
Indo-US-Afghan nexus and Pakistan on November 3, 2017Addressing a gathering at the Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi on October 25, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ruled out his country’s participation in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) unless Kabul is given access to Wagah crossing on the Indo-Pak border for its trade with New Delhi. He threatened to block Pakistan’s access to Central Asia […]
Catalonia: Europe’s stability at risk on October 26, 2017The October 1 controversial referendum held in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia, which deepened conflict between Madrid and the Catalonian nationalist forces, may unleash the process of instability in Europe. After the bloody civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina during early and mid-1990s, crisis in Catalonia is the most dangerous flashpoint as far as peace and […]
A real US relationship with Pakistan? on October 19, 2017After a lull of several months, US-Pak relations are gradually warming up. Back to back events starting from American President Donald Trump’s aggressive tone on Pakistan during his policy speech on South Asia in August and his recent appreciation of Islamabad’s efforts to recover US-Canadian couple along with their three children from terrorist custody in […]
Reconciliation process in Palestine on October 13, 2017After ten years of hostility and bloodshed, the rival Palestinian groups namely Al-Fatah and Hamas agreed in September to form a national unity government and dissolve administrative committees in Gaza. Since 2007, Gaza was ruled by radical Muslim Palestinian group Hamas and West Bank remained under the control of moderate PLO group Al-Fatah. Earlier, in […]
Why escape from the truth? on October 6, 2017Speaking before the Asia Society Forum in New York on September 26, Foreign Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif made it clear that the so-called Jihadi forces now accused of unleashing violence and terrorism in the country were nourished, pampered and patronized by the United States. And it was a mistake, if not blunder on the […]
CPECs daunting tasks on September 29, 2017China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is termed as a ‘game changer’ and a milestone in unleashing the process of development in Pakistan is still in its formative phase. Termed as a mega project of now 56 billion US dollars, CPEC primarily concentrates on energy and infrastructure development in Pakistan while linking the Gwadar port with […]
How real is the North Korean threat? on September 22, 2017With the imposition of fresh sanctions by the UN Security Council against the North Korean nuclear missile tests, Pyongyang has escalated its threatening tone and posture. Reacting to Japan’s support to the UN Security Council resolutions, the Korea-Asia Pacific Peace Committee, which looks after North Korean relations with the world, threatened that, “The four islands […]
Paradigm shift in foreign policy? on September 15, 2017In a press conference held in Islamabad on September 7, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif stated that, “a new paradigm would emerge keeping in view our relations and conditions after making necessary adjustments.” Earlier, a three-day envoys conference submitted recommendations suggesting changes in foreign policy which will be placed before the National Security Committee and […]