International Security Issues increasingly involve non-traditional factors, parameters of which “symbolize security from the threat of disease, hunger, unemployment, crime, social conflict, political repression and environmental hazards” (Ginwala, 2002), human security being defined as “protecting the vital core of all human lives in ways enhancing human freedoms, human fulfillment, and fundamental freedoms constituting the essence…

In the traditional sense security is considered as freedom from risk or danger of destruction and/or annihilation, national security being freedom of the national state from danger of destruction by war, physical violence aggression, etc from outside. Having a monopoly of power the nation state is responsible for defending its citizens deprived of the power…

There is nothing complicated about being a soldier. You serve your country with a simple-minded purpose, to die for your country if so required. No other profession in the world can equal the commitment of the soldier to his (or her) call of duty, the acceptance that your life is forfeit to the nation when…

Dear Readers, It is unfortunate that Muslims are a divided people and that is our greatest problem today where disunity and suspicion affects us like an incurable disease. Fragmented and divided, we are disunited at every level – within communities, at the local level, the national level and at the international level. We are great…

Hazrat Omar when once asked as to why a particular person was abusing him replied that he was surprised because he had not done him any favours. Muslims cherish this example because it acts as an example and encouragement to those who help their fellow beings without expecting or accepting reward, indeed expecting approbation. Unfortunately…

Democracy is a social state in which everyone must have equal rights without hereditary or arbitrary differences of rank or privilege. In a truly democratic State, the entire population shares the same goals and objectives to realize its genuine aspirations of living in an environment of freedom and participation in government at all levels. Even…

The 8th Worldwide Security Conference in Brussels organized by the EastWest Institute (EWI), one of the world’s leading think tanks, in cooperation with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Financial Times, in Oct 2011 focussed on (1) sharpening appreciation of the existing security dynamics in Southwest Asia with particular emphasis on Afghanistan (2) analysing…

Corruption is alive and well in Pakistan, like inflation it has force-multiplied itself into an inescapable part of our daily lives. That we have not reached economic apocalypse because of this evil in our society is only a miracle. One of the fundamental premise of democracy being that all transactions must be open for detailed…

Dear Readers, Elections are due in Pakistan in early 2013 provided all goes well. As is the norm in third world countries, politics in Pakistan has started picking up momentum and is sliding into a contentious, almost venomous mode. This is evident in the many Talk Shows being hosted on private television channels. Pakistan has…

Dear Readers, Many people, especially outsiders not familiar with how things work at the official level in Pakistan will be shocked to learn that not a single project of the size of either Mangla or Tarbela dam has beer initiated during the last four decades or so. Should it then be surprising that Pakistan finds…