‘In a western democracy, you lose touch with your people, you lose elections; in a monarchy, you lose your head’. Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, Former Saudi Ambassador to Washington. On In the last two years Saudi Arabia has gone through many changes. Absolute monarchies are not easy to decipher. There are many opacities and it is…
Historical Overview Pakistan’s strategic location, its predominant religious affinity, critical geographical proximity as well as continuous efforts by Pakistani expatriate population to develop infrastructure and other institutions have made it a natural ally of the neighboring Gulf States. There are socio-political factors that make Pakistan the obvious choice for the Gulf rulers to safeguard security…
Military Operation Khyber IV has been started to dismantle “safe heavens” of terrorists, it is continuation of Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Raddul Fasaad. A large part of Khyber Valley has already been cleared and more than 20 terrorists have been killed so far. Even as fierce battle is going on in different parts of Khyber Valley,…
Balochistan is widely projected to become the regional trade hub on account of the CPEC projects. If this grand connectivity corridor materialises by the stipulated time period, this will undoubtedly make Pakistan a major economic and naval power in South Asia, as well as making Balochistan a developed and prosperous province. However, the growing presence…
The United States and its Western allies have vast economic and political interests in the Gulf. While Saudi Arabia is a key US ally, Qatar is home to the US military’s largest air base in the region, Al-Udeid, rival Bahrain houses the US Navy Fifth Fleet. Cumulatively the Gulf region produces 20 percent of the…
Terrorist Activities in Pakistan Suicide AttacksThe District Police Officer (DPO) of Qilla Abdullah, Sajid Khan Mohmand, and his security guard and driver were killed and over 10 other people, including five Police personnel, injured in a suicide blast in the border town of Chaman in Qilla Abdullah District of Balochistan on July 10, reports Dawn….
Living in desperate times, former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif is toking desperate measures to avoid the storm that looms large. After the PanamaGate verdict by the Supreme Court disqualifying the PM from holding office and instructing NAB to file references against the PM, his sons and daughter, the PML (N) has gone on the…
Misplaced loyalty for corrupt individuals is not only betrayal of the community but complicity in their crimes, it lies at the heart of virtually every scandal. Carrying obfuscation and obduracy too far, Nawaz Sharif insisted before the PML (N) Parliamentary party, “I still do not understand the grounds for my dismissal I am only content…
Recent reports coming out of Washington suggest that the proposal by US National Security Adviser (NSA) Mr. MacMaster for a moderate rise in the number of US troops or their private security company substitutes has been rejected by President Trump. If this is true it would at least conform with Trump’s declared goal to put…
