Recent Pak-Afghan summit had many interesting features. Before leaving Kabul for Islamabad, President Karzai had said that it would be his 20th visit to Pakistan, and that earlier 19 had not yielded any results. Afghan President’s visit came at a time when Afghanistan is undergoing important political and security transitions. Draw-down of foreign forces is…
According to Global “Economic Prospects”, South Asia Region growth declined from 7.4% in 2011 to an estimated 5.4% in 2012, mainly due to a sharp slowdown in India. Home to many of the developing world’s poor, the economic future of the region depends upon (1) Regional cooperation bringing about the Asian Century (2) supporting regional…
The Federal Cabinet met in the city of Karachi on the subject of “Karachi” to take “extraordinary measures to deal with the extraordinary situation in Karachi”, in the words of PM Mian Nawaz Sharif. One does not doubt the urgency of the Federal Govt or their sincerity, however one must call a spade a spade…
Terrorist Activities in Pakistan Suicide BombingsAtOn July 26, at least 48 persons were killed and 100 others were injured in a coordinated twin suicide attacks at Parachinar in the Kurram Agency, reports The News. Suicide bombers on motorcycles blew themselves up within a minute of each other outside an Imambargah in Parachinar bazaar. “One suicide…
Dear Readers, Nawaz Sharif’s decision to choose a Baloch, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, president of the National party (NP), from outside of his own party to be the Chief Minister of Balochistan has revived hopes for a return of good governance and progress to the province which has been persistently wronged. This is a positive…
In an all encompassing, first speech since the general elections, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif admitted that the country’s institutions have failed on almost all fronts, including the war on terror. He thanked the people for expressing their confidence in him. But he said, “We should face reality that the country faces severe challenges”. This frank…
Pakistan has become hub of problems Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif We are passing through series of conflicts, contradictions and confrontation internally, regionally and internationally. New government, new hopes, new rhetoric and new ways of squeezing revenues/taxes from the people and public servants at large are being implemented at every level. New cronyism, compromises, and…
IntroductionMilitary forces are an important element of national power. Their role in national domains depends upon the history and government structures of the nation. In some states where military dictators rule the country, the armed forces have strict control on the affairs of the state. On the other hand, in most democratic states military forces…
The Muslim civilization was developed historically (spanning from 7th through the 17th centuries) dominating the world close to millennia. It had transformed the world particularly during its golden age (8th to the 12th centuries); had become universal, supremely successful in all human endeavors, education, democratic ideals, sciences and technology of the era. Civilization in the…
Most Pakistanis, while not oblivious to the country’s multiple challenges, still think that the country, resting on weak foundations of democracy, conservative religious orthodoxy, and poor economy, remains fundamentally instable. Optimists think the country has survived numerous crises over the past more than six and half decades and there is little reason to think it…
