Is there hope for peace in Afghanistan?on September 13, 2019US President Donald Trump tweeted announcing the cancellation of the Afghan peace talks and also informed that the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani were due to secretly meet with the US President Trump last week at the famous Camp David retreat to formalize the peace deal. Zalmay Khalilzad, who had laboured over a year to craft the peace deal has been recalled to Washington DC, must be … [Read more...] about Is there hope for peace in Afghanistan?
Indian academics being hounded by RSSon September 6, 2019The annexation of Indian Occupied Kashmir and Ladakh was only the tip of the iceberg. It is part of a greater conspiracy by the progenitors of Hindutva, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to purge India of non-Muslims and even lower caste Hindus, the Dalit.Hindutva has acquired a menacing lease on life. As Prof. Donald Eugene Smith warned in his classic, India as a Secular State (Princeton … [Read more...] about Indian academics being hounded by RSS
US mediation on Kashmiron August 30, 2019The Kashmir imbroglio persists with the residents of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) getting the short end of the stick. Pakistan has made tremendous efforts to internationalize the issue and highlight the unilateral action by India to annex IOK and Ladakh but so far it has only made the human rights activists aware of the atrocious Indian action and the plight of the beleaguered Kashmiri, women, … [Read more...] about US mediation on Kashmir
China and Indian annexation of Kashmir & Ladakhon August 23, 2019India's psyche of executing hegemonistic predispositions emanate from the moment it gained independence in 1947, when it forcibly occupied Kashmir. Pakistani troops and volunteers managed to liberate one third of Kashmir before India approached the UN Security Council (SC) for a ceasefire. The UNSC approved Resolutions declaring Kashmir to be a disputed territory, whose fate would be resolved … [Read more...] about China and Indian annexation of Kashmir & Ladakh
Pakistan exerting to choke terror financing & evade FATFon August 17, 2019Pakistan's National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue recently approved the Foreign Exchange Regulations (Amendment) or FERA Bill 2019 and Anti Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill 2019 with certain amendments aimed at addressing legal deficiencies pointed out by the FATF.The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is also known by its French name, Grouped'actionfinancière … [Read more...] about Pakistan exerting to choke terror financing & evade FATF
Requiem for Indian Occupied Kashmiron August 10, 2019Narendra Modi has taken a political gamble by taking steps to repeal Articles 370 and 35A, changing the status of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). The move began with a Presidential Order, followed by its passage through both houses of the Indian Parliament, withdrawing the historic special status to Jammu and Kashmir. IOK has been bifurcated with Ladakh becoming a Union Territory (UT) and Jammu and … [Read more...] about Requiem for Indian Occupied Kashmir
Kartarpur Corridor – a major diplomatic triumphon August 2, 2019Various analysts are expressing the opinion that by opting for the establishment of the Kartarpur Corridor, Pakistan has scored a diplomatic victory.Article 36 of the Constitution of Pakistan assures that "The state shall safeguard the legitimate rights and interest of minorities, including their due representation in the Federal and Provincial services. Development of Kartarpur Corridor is … [Read more...] about Kartarpur Corridor – a major diplomatic triumph
Moving beyond rigging allegationson July 26, 2019In Pakistan democracy is taking roots. In 2018, a third dispensation received the baton of governance after the Military rule ended in 2008. While democratic norms will take time to sprout, the supremacy of the Parliament has been established. However, one trait of Pakistani politicians needs to be corrected that is the acceptance of the election results gracefully. While the winners celebrate … [Read more...] about Moving beyond rigging allegations
There is a tide in the life of men…on July 20, 2019After nearly a year of exchange of harsh words via twitter, US President Donald Trump and Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan are destined to meet this month on the latter's first visit to Washington DC as PM. Both the leaders are hot headed and known to be ready to indulge in verbal duels, but both are defending their national interests. Imran Khan is a celebrity, a cricketing hero, who joined … [Read more...] about There is a tide in the life of men…
ICJ verdict on Kulbhoshan Jadhavon July 20, 2019The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 17 July announced its verdict on India's petition challenging the death sentence given to Indian spy Kulbhoshan Jadhav, ruling that Jadhav be allowed consular access and asking Pakistan to ensure "effective review and reconsideration of his conviction and sentences".The court found that nothing in Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular … [Read more...] about ICJ verdict on Kulbhoshan Jadhav
