Saad Hafiz

It is evident that the concept of civilian control of the military in Pakistan has never sunk in. Historically, the generals have maintained a consistent attitude that civilian leaders are, at best, temporary office holders to be outmanueuvred or outlasted. Civilian governments have been focused on the possibility of coups and the challenges of keeping […]

Many Americans are baffled and angered by the deep-set anti-Americanism prevailing in the Muslim world. Some Americans see it as an expression of a malevolent ill disposition that goes beyond the pale of reason, revealing the inherent venality, weakness and instability of Muslims. In this worldview, the US is the beacon of freedom and democracy […]

Having struggled for decades, Pakistan has an opportunity to replace its incapacity for strategic thinking with political realism and use the concept of national interest as a guideline in its policy-making. The national interest is the preferences of a nation’s leaders, or put differently, the goals that are sought by the state, which are usually […]

The Balochistan quagmire corroborates Pakistan’s historic struggle to accommodate distinct national groups within the country. The Baloch, like the Bengalis earlier, are demanding political and economic justice they rightly feel has been denied to them by the powerful Punjab-dominated ruling oligarchy. Since the creation of Pakistan, there have been incompatible tensions that could be glossed […]

Politics and diplomacy is a tough business, and the use of catchy sound bites is its modern currency, particularly in the media-savvy US. In keeping with this trend, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman used an attention-grabbing sound bite: “This is a new Pakistan. Catch up, gentlemen,” as Islamabad squabbled with Washington on transit […]

The majority of news items that link India and Pakistan report something negative such as tensions along the border, bickering over Kashmir, Balochistan or Afghanistan, concerns about terrorism, or, at its most benign, a eruption of nationalistic sentiment and flag-waving when the two nations meet on the sporting field. It is welcome, therefore, that a […]

It is hard to dispute the assertion that the Muslim world is in a mess because of a forceful and influential minority whose aim is to acquire political power under the garb of religion. It is part of historic power struggles that have plagued Muslim society for centuries using Islam as a political ideology, rather […]

Kashmir is one of the most intractable international territorial disputes. For 70 years, there is no resolution in sight as neither India nor Pakistan is willing to recognise the other’s claims. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond recently said in Islamabad that Kashmir should not be a precondition to the Pakistan-India dialogue. Predictably, there were howls […]

Since its creation in 1947, Pakistan has, gradually, choked in the vise-like grip of reactionary Islam. Society embraced irrationalism, traditionalism, and dogmatism, and abandoned tolerance and pluralism. Hate politics along sectarian lines increased manifold. It also marked the beginning of two negative and highly destructive processes: one was the erosion of the moral basis of […]

Most definitely all aviators reading this column (wishful thinking here considering that aviators would rather be flying planes than reading columns) can best relate to what exactly is a call sign. For the uninitiated, in simple terms, it is a nickname given to pilots such as Maverick from the movie Top Gun. Today, the call […]