FATF and Pakistan on June 19, 2022Marcus Pleyer, outgoing President of FATF, stated that Pakistan is not being removed from the Grey List immediately. However, it will be removed if the on-site visit finds that its actions are sustainable. So interpreted, it clearly means, the steps being implemented for Pakistan’s AML (anti-money laundering) and CFT (combatting the financing of terrorism) reforms […]
May 25 Long March: What Next? on May 28, 2022There are no two opinions about the wrong timing of the removal of Khan’s government. The performance was dismal, the people were largely against him for bringing inflation woes upon them. Had his government been allowed to continue, till it presented the Finance Bill, it would have dug its own grave. The Opposition miscalculated, badly. […]
Is Khan endangering democratic culture of Pakistan? on May 24, 2022Khan seems to have taken a leaf out of Trump’s book. In January 2021, the latter incited his supporters to march to the US Capitol to prevent a peaceful transition of power once he was defeated in elections. Khan’s government did not complete its full term. Two broad reasons for this failure can be put […]
The downfall of Imran Khan on April 9, 2022Qasim Suri Deputy Speaker National Assembly dismissed the No Confidence Motion, on a point of order by Fawad Chaudhry quoting Article 5 of the Constitution of Pakistan. It states: 5 Loyalty to State and obedience to Constitution and law. (1) Loyalty to the State is the basic duty of every citizen. (2) Obedience to the […]
Can NOTA solve Pakistan’s dilemma? on April 2, 2022Pakistan is at crossroads. The no-confidence vote is set for 3rd April 2022. As of now, PTI’s ouster is almost a given. What is next for Pakistan? Most ask one question: with the return of the same old, what does the future hold? A note needs to be added here before addressing the question. PTI […]
The way forward for Pakistan from here on March 22, 2022The election cry by Imran Khan to bring the looted monies back from those who stole it could never have been legally delivered. One, Pakistan does not have a bilateral treaty with UK that allows return of funds or exchange of accused in court cases indicted of a crime on the other soil [Refer to […]
Pakistan, Russia and China on March 4, 2022In Pakistan, we often talk of Russia and China as if they are the same, more like a de facto alliance rather than two separate entities. Moscow’s faith in China is not ‘unconditional’, it is ‘contained’. Different issues color the Russian approach towards China that is different based on its importance of the given issue. […]
Ukraine-Russia war and Pakistan on February 26, 2022The impact of this war on Pakistan can be seen through two dimensions: political and economic. Pakistan will feel the heat to take sides. In the hurry to show the west that Pakistan still has relevance for the world, there is an adrenaline rush amongst different segments of the society to jump into the Russian […]
Meeting Dr Mehdi Hasan on February 25, 2022Many know about Dr Mehdi Hasan. His achievements. His views. His level of discourse. I can probably not trump that information but would like to introduce the man behind these achievements. I got to know him in the best part of my life, beginning in 1982. As a student. University of Punjab. Department of Journalism. […]
What made Afghanistan relevant to the super powers? on February 19, 2022Many armchair warriors state that without Pakistan Army creating mujahedeen, there would have been no ravaging of Afghanistan in the years following the mujahedeen’s birth. Whereas, there are pros and cons of this decision taken by many, especially other stakeholders, by no means a sweeping statement putting the blame on the Pakistani Boots is justified. […]