The Real McCoy on April 2, 2019The real McCoy in case of Pakistan is the leader at the helm of the affairs who is steering the ship of the state through the choppy waters with the dexterity of a helmsman havingan eerie resemblance with the Cuban fisherman up against a giant merlin in the sea in Hemingway’s classic i.e “Old Man […]
Our penta – silver bullet on March 25, 2019People in our neck of the woods seek magic bullets and exotic Talismans for solutions to our problems as a matter of habit. Begotten out of centuries of lassitude and fatalism the search for mentors, deux ex machinas, and quick fixes has become part of our planning DNA. Role models like Muhatir and Ataturk keep […]
Indian Hubris and Revisionism on March 19, 2019Hubris being one of the seven deadly sins leads to twin maladies of megalomania and misanthropy. The Indian government, having led the Indian population up the cloud cuckoo land of Hindutva glory is finding hard to come to grip with ground realities of the subcontinent. Having crafted a black swan event in Kashmir on the […]
An Indian war dance on March 1, 2019Indians have put on their war paint. The faint echo of beating war drums has reached a crescendo so deafening as to muzzle a few voices of sanity in the largest democracy of the world. All cataclysmic wars in the world’s history have been started by populist tyrants masquerading as democrats. World War II was […]
The last charger on February 23, 2019All quiet along the Potomac tonight No sound save the rush of the river While soft falls the dew on the face of the dead Picket’s off duty forever – Ethel Lynn Beers The Last post sounded for the last charger of the famed Guide’s Cavalry, the premier armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army on […]
Clear, hold, build on February 5, 2019According to Julian Lindley, Paul-Cornish, and Andrew Rathmell “Clear, Hold, Build” is a comprehensive approach to tackle the contested zones in counterinsurgency environments; involving kinetic as well non kinetic operations. The armies employ kinetic force through armed action and use of intelligence to identify and erase the imprint of insurgents operating in contested zones. After […]
Our renewable energy scene on January 24, 2019For an energy starved country such as Pakistan affordable energy assumes top priority. Unfortunately due to our lopsided national power policies and the baleful effects of politics on policy formulation we have entered a vicious cycle of power crisis. The crisis is evident from a reversal of hydel-thermal ratio in national power mix from 70:30 […]
The Enemy Within on January 14, 2019The wars of this age would scarcely be fought by tanks, artillery guns, and missiles. Mental proclivities and personal faith would be new arenas where battles for cultural and material ascendancy be fought between the people representing national, ethnic, or religious identities. With the nuclear Armageddon a distinct possibility the unfettered use of conventional weaponry […]
Our Energy Security on January 7, 2019Pakistan’s energy security is premised upon a host of factors i.e fossil fuel sources, renewable energy, and a balanced mix of power generation cum energy mix. Despite all the promise and forecasts about renewable revolution some technical limitations still stand in the way of fossil fuel supersession in the merit order of the fuel sources. […]
Business and welfare on December 31, 2018Keynesian prescriptions upended the laissez-faire model of Adam Smith through a benign governmental intervention for public weal. Scholars like Paul Samuelson later came up with “Theory of Public Good” wherein a public good was defined as something that all people could benefit from and enjoy without rivalry and exclusion. National security, air, rivers, and human […]