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Pakistan’s multiple woes
The impediments that Pakistan is facing in the procurement of a meagre eight F-16 fighter aircraft are a sad reflection of the current state of Pakistan-US relations. For Pakistan, in the 1980s, the...
View ArticleMajor domestic and foreign challenges
Pakistan is a land of sharp contrasts. General Raheel Sharif captures moral high ground by his bold actions against senior officers who have been found to be perpetrators of mega corruption. In sharp...
View ArticleFighting the curse of corruption
With the media’s growing power and reach, accompanied by surges in technology to unlock secrecies, a new global phenomenon is in the making. There are no secret vaults where the corrupt rich and...
View ArticleDeveloping soft power
Pakistan has remained highly disadvantaged by its negligence in the development of soft national power. This theme was highlighted in a recent seminar at the Institute of Strategic Studies. Ever since...
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India exploits our internal contradictions
Relations with India took another beating when our security forces, close to the Pakistan-Iran border in Balochistan, arrested a serving commander of the Indian Navy, for spying and promoting...
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The Nuclear Security Summit and Pakistan’s perspective
During the next week, delegations from 51 countries, plus major groups like the European Union and the United Nations are expected to attend the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit to be held in...
View ArticleThe state of play in Pakistan-India relations
The relationship between India and Pakistan has not come out of its precarious mode. The Indian leadership is not serious about engaging with Pakistan in a formal, institutionalised format unless there...
View ArticleChallenges facing the MQM
While the MQM’s leadership faces a mega internal challenge, pressure from the establishment compounds its miseries. The question is, should the party be allowed to reform itself within the bounds of...
View ArticleTurmoil in the Middle East and its implications
The fluid and evolving situation in the Middle East has explosive implications. It has reopened old wounds and ancient fault lines and reignited regional power plays, especially among Iran, Iraq and...
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India and Pakistan — prisoners of the past
Pakistan-India relations received a major setback after the Pathankot incident for which India blamed the Jaish-e-Mohammad to be the prime suspect for the attack. Narendra Modi, in a recent interview,...
View ArticlePPP and MQM: in need of a major overhaul
Tragically, the two most important political parties of Sindh — the PPP and the MQM — that also happen to be the second and fourth largest party, respectively, in the country, are in a state of deep...
View ArticleDetermining national direction
For a leader to ensure the country’s progress and meet the aspirations of its people, he has to pursue policies that optimise its potential and enable it to keep pace with the world. This aspect is of...
View ArticleTaliban and the Quartet
The success of the quartet’s — Afghanistan, Pakistan, the US and China — efforts in the reconciliation process will largely depend on the response of the Taliban. For Pakistan, it is vital that this...
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My icon, mentor and friend
Sahabzada Yaqub was a man of exceptional qualities who left an indelible impression on me from the first day I met him. His career spanned over a historic period, both pre- and post-Partition. As...
View ArticleTaking President Obama’s prediction as a challenge
During his recent State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama made a significant remark that “even without ISIL, instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world”. Apart from...
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Finding ourselves playing the mediator
The current toxic rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran is another manifestation of the deep decay that has set in the Muslim world. The two countries are locked in a power struggle and are primarily...
View ArticleImplications of North Korea’s nuclear progression
North Korea’s recent underground nuclear test was the fourth since it first joined the nuclear club in 2006. The announcement, as expected, was widely condemned worldwide. The UN secretary general...
View ArticleAppraising 2015
If we were to assess 2015, it would be fair to generalise that Pakistan, after a long spell, has overcome the worst and seems set on a trajectory that could lead to incremental progress and stability....
View ArticleIs India serious about improving relations?
A time comes in the history of nations when they have to seriously take stock of the policies they have pursued over the years. Have these produced the results they had initially aimed to achieve?...
View ArticlePakistan’s stakes in Saudi-sponsored coalition
The announcement that Pakistan has joined the Saudi-led coalition against terrorism was made after some ambiguity. Once again, highlighting the nature of a personalised and ad hoc decision-making...
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