Context In the previous articles, we have been examining the various dimensions of Arab-Israeli rapprochement that got underway as a consequence of the Abraham Accords, signed during the Trump administration in 2020. As a result, UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco officially recognized Israel. Progressively alarmed by the growing Chinese involvement in the region, demonstrated by…
I was serving in 35 Heavy Regiment Artillery (1970-72), and we were deployed in our operational locations after the 1971 Indo-Pak War, that one day, perhaps in March 1972, we came to know that two guns and a Command Post along with Battery Commander (BC) and two officers had to participate in a parade to…
The Constitution of Pakistan was adopted on 10 Apr 1973, after it was passed unanimously in the National Assembly. This was the period after the tragedy of 1971, creation of Bangladesh and Mr Bhutto coming into power on the basis of the same very elections, whose one part (Mujib getting the majority) was not acceptable…
This part covers the period from 1985 to 2003, which saw two military dictators, Gen Zia (1977-1988) and Gen Musharraf (1999-2008), two sham democratic governments viz Benazir Bhutto (1988-1990 & 1993-1996) and Nawaz Sharif (1990-1993 & 1996-1999). Let’s see how each one behaved as for ‘The Constitution of Pakistan’ is concerned. So here we go. The…
Chairman’s Statement The World Economic Forum provides a global, impartial and not-for-profit platform, acting as an independent International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. At a time of heightened turbulence and uncertainty, the Forum is instrumental to provide deeper insight into the interconnected issues we face today, serve as a platform for meaningful connection between stakeholders to…
President’s Statement The year was one of contrasts. On the one hand, the world saw instances of meaningful global collaboration: trade between the largest economies reached record highs, progress was made on deepening inter-regional collaboration in Africa, ASEAN and the Middle East, and the UN Climate Conference in Egypt delivered commitments to historic “loss and…
The 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan, a renowned cine-screen actor too, was vatic as he once pronounced, “…this generation may be the one that will face Armageddon.” Though not to this day, the October 7, 2023, adventure (read misadventure) of Hamas has brought the world close to a literal showdown. Armageddon is…
“History doesn’t stop. By the time we build capabilities from our vision against terror armies, we will be facing a new challenge because the enemy adapts.” Israeli army Brigadier General Eran Ortal, February 2023 Militaries change overtime due to changing political and security landscapes. Conflicts also force a change as every conflict shows the deficiencies…
The 2008 film Swing Vote was not a box office success. It was also panned by critics in equal measure. Even after all that, one line from the script stuck with me. Before I get to that, some context. The movie revolves around a fictional US presidential election where the fate of the vote comes…
Over two thousand years ago the ancient silk route (now part of present day Pakistan) was used by Chinese traders and renowned monks like Xuan Zang and Fa Xiam, who travelled the route for trade and cultural exchanges from China to the Middle East, Europe and further towards the western World. In recent times, the…
