S M Hali

May 4 was the Yaum-e-Shahadat of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in South India. He introduced a number of administrative innovations during his rule, including a new coinage system and calendar, and a new land revenue system which initiated the growth of the Mysore silk industry. Tipu Sultan fought numerous battles […]

A decade has passed since Operation Neptune Spear struck into the heart of Pakistan. The clandestine US mission targeted a residential compound in Abbottabad, close to a local military academy, and eliminated Osama Bin Laden. In the immediate aftermath, questions were raised regarding the efficacy of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies since the Al Qaeda chief had […]

China first observed its Space Day on April 24, 2016, to commemorate the anniversary of the country’s first-ever satellite launch, Dongfanghong-1, back in 1970. This year, festivities kicked off in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, under the theme: Voyaging into space, pursuing dreams. This was particularly apt given that the China National Space Administration […]

Liberté, égalité, fraternité stand for Liberty, equality and fraternity and is the national motto of France. Maximillian Robespierre coined this phrase, which became a guiding principle for the French Revolution expressing its ideas and aspirations. It finds its origin in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789, which defined […]

Indian plans to acquire the Russian missile defence system S-400 are likely to mar US-Indo ties. The US Congress had passed the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in 2017 stipulating the imposition of sanctions on any country that purchases military equipment from Russia or conducts transactions with Iran or North Korea. The US […]

Last week, while talking to reporters, United States President Joe Biden disclosed that he suggested to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a phone call that democratic countries should have an infrastructure plan to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The US President’s Biden’s remarks came in the wake of his statement, a day […]

Adrian Zenz appears to figure in most of China bashing campaigns. He is a fervent critic of the Chinese government’s policies on Xinjiang and lays strong charges of genocide, rape, slave labour, forced sterilization, incarceration and religious suppression of the Uighurs. No wonder that Zenz is hailed as a hero in the west and his […]

Change of command in any service is a serious affair and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is no different. At a solemn but impressive ceremony, the passing of the baton is symbolized by handing over the command sword by the outgoing air chief to his successor. It seems only yesterday that Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar […]

While the world celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021 in different manners, the US decided to commemorate the event with a special pomp, promoting two lady officers to the coveted rank of Generals. One of the hallmarks of the Biden Administration is diversity. Biden’s own Vice President is Kamala Harris, first African American, […]

Eminent American historian Stephen F. Cohen, after a seminar was asked, which two countries in the world enjoy the closest relationship? The audience was expecting him to name the US and Israel but were taken aback when the learned academic said “China and Pakistan”. He went on to define the parameters of the deep relationship […]