Since coming into power, Pakistan’s new government is pursing the objective of peaceful neighbourhood. A number of initiatives are on the cards to improve relations with all neighbouring countries—especially India. For example, allowing India a non-discriminatory access to Pakistani markets appears around the corner. In December 2013 a peace dossier was delivered to Indian Prime…
Following the Taliban’s announcement for a month long ceasefire, the government has reciprocated by suspending air strikes while retaining the option to respond to violent attacks. These developments came while speculations about a major ground offensive against the militants lodged in North Waziristan formed the most popular narrative. Now the government and the TTP have…
This is a defining year in Afghanistan’s history. The drawdown of occupation forces by the end of the year will be a watershed event. Pakistan supports a sovereign, independent and united Afghanistan and hopes that the drawdown will be managed while preserving regional peace and security. Given Turkey’s close ties to Afghanistan and Pakistan, it…
It is a sorry state of affairs that since the beginning of 2014, hardly a day has passed without a terrorist event of one type or another. Widespread incidents of violence, of all hues, in Pakistan’s urban centres signify the challenges confronting the federal and provincial governments in restoring law and order. Taliban’s trajectory is…
Democratic transition in Pakistan in May 2013, has opened new vistas of cooperation between the two countries. Nawaz-Obama summit in October last year and the comprehensive Joint Statement issued thereafter provided the vision and future direction for this relationship. President Obama and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had agreed that mutual interactions should focus people centric…
Unmanned Combat Aerial vehicles more commonly known by their innocent sounding nomenclature “drones” have ultimately come under the UN scrutiny. For the first time, the UN General Assembly has pronounced itself on the ever-increasing use of armed drones in the pursuit of ‘war on terror’. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has unanimously passed a…
Pakistan is striving to come out of the worst security crisis in its history that has adversely impacted its economy, especially since 9/11. Under these difficult times, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Pakistan was a breeze of fresh air. When some of the close allies of yesteryears have almost abandoned Pakistan, Turkey…
Sectarian violence has caught the nation by its throat. This coupled with proliferation of lethal weapons, poor investigative skills, marginal forensic capacities and coerced lower judiciary makes a sure recipe for a quagmire from which nation may not be able to come out unscathed, and for quite some time. Professional incompetence that brought situation to…
As anticipated, the Afghan Loya Jirga has endorsed a much awaited bilateral security agreement (BSA), allowing an unspecified number of American troops to stay on in the country after 2014. “Given the current situation, and Afghanistan’s need… the contents of this agreement as a whole is endorsed by the members of this Loya Jirga,” said…
Mere fact that Nawaz-Obama talks took place cannot be construed as a sign of progress, especially in the context of a prolonged sour relationship between the two countries. Nawaz-Obama summit has, yet once again, brought forth the reality that both sides lack clarity about keeping the bilateral relationship on a sustainably stable trajectory. Apart from…
