Positioned at a geo-politically sensitive crossroads, Pakistan has since the 50s served off and on as a “cornerstone of US policy” in the Middle and Near East, joining the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in 1954. With Iraq opting out in 1958, the US-sponsored “Baghdad Pact” (1955) became the now-defunct (1979) Central Treaty Organization…
More than 1000 Muslims were killed and over 100,000 displaced because police stood by and did nothing to stop the massacre during the Gujarat riots in 2002. Ransacking the home of Congress MLA Ehsan Jafri, rioters killed him and other 70 Muslims taking refuge at his house. They then burned and mutilated Jafri’s body. (Then)…
Advocating western policies to moderate extreme nationalistic and anti-western feelings in the face of Soviet Union’s domination of its neighbours, Pakistan enthusiastically joined the US-sponsored Baghdad Pact (re-named CENTO after Iraq left) and SEATO to contain Soviet advance southwards in Asia. With India refusing to be part of any US Alliance, its opposition to the…
The process of Islamisation in Pakistan started in earnest during Gen Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, this resulted in a marked shift in its entire frame of politics. When the fatal plane crash brought Zia’s decade in power to a violent end in an as yet-unexplained plane crash in 1988, it marked the end of the second military…
Dear Readers, The third- largest body of water containing vital sea lanes, the Indian Ocean feeds some of Asia’s largest economies and is strategically among the most important in the world. It carries more than 80 percent of the world’s seaborne trade in oil transits through its choke points but it is not just about…
Describing the May 12 Summit of 40 Heads of State and Govt alongwith important business leaders as “the biggest demonstration of the political will to address corruption”, British PM David Cameron said “I’ve really sensed today there is far more political will – not just from words but from actions – that will make a…
A recent “Pew Research Center” (PEW) survey finds the American people divided and uncertain, having mixed views about how assertive a role the U.S. should play internationally. With sharp differences about the greatest threats to the U.S. and the measures to deal with them, the 2016 US Presidential Elections may well decide the future US…
Two terms with the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s prestigious Global Agenda Council (GAC) on “Countering Terrorism” and given the nexus between corruption, organised crime and terrorism made it apparent that without interdicting or eradicating the source of funding of terrorism, this evil could never be rooted out. With my change over to GAC for “Anti-Corruption…
One must admire Mian Nawaz Sharif (MNS) about how unlike Shahbaz Sharif he managed through the years to keep his immediate family out of political sight, and thus out of public mind. Begum Kulsoom Nawaz was very effective campaigning for MNS’ freedom during his incarceration by Musharraf, once MNS was into political exile she went…
Any U.S. presidential election comes with its own surprises but the 2016 presidential race is not only drawing attention and quite a bit of controversy in the United States – it is being watched very closely all over the world. The candidates and the issues being discussed by them will have far reaching effects, not…
