Vision21: Waziristan Strategy or Pakistan Strategy?

Pakistan and Waziristan were not always like this. How we have come to this pass is crucial to analyse, but even more urgent is to assess that are we prepared enough to win this battle?

Waziristan Operation

If military operation could pacify any country there would have been no Vietnam or Afghanistan or even 50 plus expeditions into Waziristan since 1890s till to date.

GHQ Attack-Serious Questions

The enemy is not in Waziristan or Afghanistan. The enemy is our own damn inefficiency and complacency. It merits serious thinking at all plains , tactical,operational and strategic.

The State And Its' Wars

Pakistan is engaged in a series of debates arguing the role of constitutionalism; of independent judiciary; of free media and civil society’s responsibility, but not yet began to debate the role of the Pakistani military within Pakistan.

Vindictive at Their Best-Pakistan Army

Pakistan's three infamous A's: The Army, Allah and America. We blame the Islamic fundamentalists and USA for all the chaos in Pakistan. But if we take a closer look the real culprit seems to be Pakistan army.

A Leaf From the Book of Life

Now when I look back I feel as if I was in awe of her like she was a deity descended form the heavens above who could only be seen and revered and observed but not spoken to.

Book Review: Flight of the Falcon

Sajad Haider’s (SJ) name made headlines, both in war and peace. The former remains his legacy, faithfully revisited every September. The latter became a fleeting moment in history, which no one talks about.

Cantonment in Swat : Wrong Solution

I believe the solution to the Swat problem is much simpler and less costly: well trained and well armed Police, functioning courts and elimination of status of Swat as Tribal Area

Sufi Muhammed...No More a Joke

It was a small headline on the back page of Roznama Jahng. My father had passed it as a joke. “Sufi Muhammed claims that if the government does not instate sharia law in Pakistan, he will attack Islamabad.�

Negotiating Aid Package

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Gillani may have done something historic by categorically declining to accept US aid with conditions that are not in Pakistan’s national interest.

The Long Road to Talibanization

The perpetrators of religious terror in Pakistan are not just the terrorists, but also actors embedded in state and society, and neither have been made answerable.

How it Became Bakistan

A brief political history of Pakistan, from Jinnah’s idealism to Bhutto’s socialism and from dictatorships to present day Islamic fundamentalism.

A Proven Approach to Make Pakistan's Defence Impregnable

If there are no internal or external threats, there are no enemies. No enemies, no conflict. But how could such an ideal goal be achieved in Pakistan where tensions are so high?

Cathartic Militarism

Threats of bankruptcy and widespread anarchy in the nation and the prospect of war with India has instilled a deep feeling of euphoria and panic in citizens of Pakistan.

The Aftermath of Musharraf’s Departure

After Musharraf’s departure, there might be some respite in the escalating insurgency and intensifying turmoil in Pakistan’s Northern scenic valley of Swat and Tribal regions.

Please De-stabilize the System

Who are we trying to save the system from anyway? Why are we STILL sugar-coating this?

Myanmar Disaster

“Dedicated to the people of Burma in their hour of need………but stands there, the government and its obstacles “!!!

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa Agha on Pakistan Military

Stay out of politics, it is good for you, good for us, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa Agha advises Pakistan Military.

Monday Morning Blast in Rawalpindi ... An eyewitness account

This morning marked the first day of classes for the current batch of officers chosen from around the country to take the Unit Command Course. Five of them never signed-in today.

A History of the Pakistan Army by Brian Cloughley

Brian Cloughley has made an honest attempt to present things as they are or as he perceived them to be with whatever facts he could lay hands to.

The Real Issue Facing Pakistan

A cursory look at the main characters in the tribal insurgency would show their strong links with the army in the past.

An Insight Into Pakistan Army and Musharraf

A combination of threat perception and indispensability strengthened his quest for legitimacy till it consumed his reformist self.

The Plan To Topple Pakistan Military

Its not about Musharraf anymore. This is about clipping the wings of a strong Pakistani military, denying space for China in Pakistan, squashing the ISI, stirring ethnic unrest...

Whither Emergency

General Musharraf’s self perception of being indispensable to Pakistan is now compounded further as the US affirms him as the most valuable partner in the ‘war on terror’.

Daughter of the Beast: The General's New Clothes

Benazir is eager to show that she is not doing deals with Musharraf but, as Ahmed Rashid points out, despite the army’s dwindling popularity she needs the army because it controls Pakistan.

A Sad Day for Pakistan

September 28, 2007 was a sad day for every citizen who hoped that the courts may finally bury the doctrine of necessity.

A History of Failure: The Rise and Fall of Military

Is military rule the solution to Pakistan's problems? Is Musharraf any different than his predecessor generals?

The Silent Majority Speaks

I have not yet seen or heard that an excellent bank manager, an efficient medical doctor or the most qualified air steward has been made a Corp Commander or an Air Marshall. I have however see many armed force officers in positions where they are not supp

The General vs. the Judge

The attempt to browbeat a Judge has released a new fissure in Pakistani society. The violence in Karachi makes compromise difficult for both sides. There is an easy solution...

What Next After Karachi’s Carnage?

Although Musharraf denies that he wants a postponement, a lengthy martial law may now be his only chance for a continuation of his dictatorial rule into its eighth year – and perhaps beyond.

Musharraf’s Coup - Seven Years Later

Some had feared – while others had hoped – that General Pervez Musharraf’s coup of October 12, 1999, would bring the revolution of Kemal Ataturk to a Pakistan firmly in the iron grip of mullahs.

Why Vice Chancellors should belong to Academia

If law and order situation is that bad in universities in Pakistan, I suggest that retired army officers should be appointed as chief security officers so that they can enforce law and order at university campuses. Appointing them as vice chancellors kil

Guess who is staying for a Thai dinner?

Since 1992, after widespread protests, democratic rule was established and it seemed that the time has come for liberal democracy to come into play in this idyllic South-East Asian country. But on September 19th 2006, the military came back and is now ru

Children of a Lesser God

The US Military officials caution against seeing the cases of abuse and murder as part of any broader pattern, noting that the incidents in question are isolated and rare! But as Bush himself has said, “we are different from our enemies” ̷

Blasphemy, Photocopy and Electromagnetic Theory

One of the strategic assumptions made by him was that the “Puraana Daur” is back. “Puraana Daur” signified the old times when students, backed by corrupt local politicians, walked on campus brandishing guns, acting like mafia guys.

Gods of War

With atrocity upon atrocity piling up in the US war against terror, one has to wonder if the world’s most self-righteous nation will ever have the courage to be morally righteous or not.

Kill for a Pill

And then call this patriotism like Hitler
Then call it “christianity”
And murder, “sanctioned by jesus
And god bless America”

Judicial Murder or Plain Manslaughter

On Friday, August 26, a military court sentenced five men to death for their alleged roles in a 2003 suicide plot to kill Pervez Musharraf. Four of them are civilians ...

Who Tarnished the Image of Pakistan?

The Government placed her name on the Exit Control List thus canceling her scheduled visit to the U.S. with the President announcing shamelessly that it was done so that she wouldn’t blemish the image of the country. Her name was very conveniently r

Central Asian Backlash Against US Franchised Revolutions

After a meeting on 5 July in the Kazakh capital Astana, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (China, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan with India, Iran and Pakistan as observers) in a statement called on USA to spell out a deadline for withd

The Genesis of Militancy in Pakistan

Militancy in Pakistan has many facets – ranging from military coups to sectarian killings.

General Musharraf goes on Struggling for Legitimacy

On May 18th the Pakistani official spokesman said that General Pervaiz Musharraf, who also happens to be the Chief of the Army, would continue to hold office beyond 2007.

The Dragon’s Teeth

There are many more like the man with the briefcase who walked into the Sialkot Imambargah. They did not develop their warped mindsets overnight -- nor will they be wiped out overnight by military means.

The New Land Mafia

Army started by toppling governments, usurping power, and got into business and banking. Now the latest paradigm is being the land mafia and in the process committing human rights atrocities on its own people like a vengeful occupation force

Military Intervention vs. Institutions’ Growth

Jamali came with a smile and left with the same smile on his face. Between his two smiles nation lost some 19 months. Who should the people hold accountable for that?

The Door To The Barracks

How to end the role of the military in politics

Role of Pakistan Army Under Musharraf Just Stinks

This situation is becoming perilously similar to the weeks and months shortly after the fall of Dacca in 1971 ...

Is Dr. Qadeer Guilty as Accused?

Allegorically speaking, Musharraf has dealt as symbolic a blow to Qadeer’s aura and stature as the American ‘conquerors’ of Iraq did last year to Saddam Hussain’s by dismantling his bronze statue in Baghdad’s Firdousi Square.

The Nuclear Noose Around Pakistan’s Neck

Thirty years ago, fearful of India’s newly acquired nuclear weapons, Pakistan set out on its own quest to become a nuclear weapons state...Few could have imagined then that the move from buyer to seller of the world’s deadliest technology w

Will Persecuting Hashmi Help?

It takes only one armed unit to overthrow a civilian government. But experience of past dictators has proven that the military finds it exceedingly difficult to retain direct control of the polity because of international impediments, domestic political c

Who will be the next PCB Chief

If Musharraf is still interested in appointing another general as PCB Chief, why not to appoint Imran Khan as Corps Commander Lahore? To me both cases are identical.

A Gory Tale of Lies, Greed and Deception

Apply whatever mode of calculation you like, the tragic truth is: Pak Army has killed manifold more Pakistanis than those who have hitherto fallen to Indian bullets.

Hypocrisy of Musharraf Lovers

When BB/NS deploy their own people at important positions then it is corruption and they are just trying to keep their favorites happy. But if any post is given to Generals it is only because they are ultra competent and really deserve the job!

Low Intensity Conflict

The two-nation theory, the very foundation of Pakistan was a revolutionary and radical theory during the period of low intensity conflict with the British Raj and the Hindu vested interests.

An Hour in the Life of a Soldier

An imaginary walk with a soldier on patrol

Discipline - And That’s An Order!

It appears that in our country, the only uniformly disciplined institution after the Armed Forces is the doodh patti chai industry...

General’s Dress Code Confusion

I maybe an inverted snob but am not so thick as not to understand what the General’s clothes are being set up to convey. If I am correct, it strikes me as a rather ill-founded strategy

The Last Trumpets

The choices are whether to adopt a presidential or a prime ministerial form of government and the second set of choices are whether Pakistan needs to be governed as an administrative state or as a democracy

Dislodging a Dictator

Why Benazir Bhutto is Pakistan’s best hope!

Terminate This

How ironic is it that Arnold Schwarzenegger was sent on a morale-boosting tour of US bases in Iraq.

The Razor’s Edge

The United States seems to be losing the proverbial battle for the “hearts and minds” of the Afghans. The biggest problem was that the United States was not prepared for the post-war situation and had no plans to tackle the problems

On the Miltary Farms, Okara

The Government’s inaction in the face of the reported brutalities carried out by the Military authorities and Pakistan Rangers in forcing the tenants of the Military Farms, Okara to execute the new “cash rent” system is criminal.

The Scandal of Fake and Madrassa Degrees

a federal minister whose only real qualification is an O-level certificate

The Follies of the Natives

A circus called Pakistan

History Rehearsing: Dark Ages of Islam

poor masses hopelessly in search of a savior

Terror in Okara

Pakistan cannot bear the shock of nearly a million of its own people being dispossessed

The Beginning of the End of the Kashmir Problem

Do not underestimate either the love or the hatred that the peoples of the two countries are capable of having towards each other

When Democracy Failed: The Warnings of History

The 70th anniversary wasn't noticed in the United States

Survival of the Fittest

If Pakistan is next then what are the options?

Doctors or the Disease

Analysis of the khaki-clad messiahs of Pakistan

Origins of the Modern World Capitalist Economy

An Answer to the Pro War Surrealists

If you feel that your way of life is better than us, than live it, but stop trying to impose it upon us.

A Stable Political Order in Post-War Iraq?

A new political order in Iraq is likely to be strife-ridden

The Great Game for Central Asian Oil

The Imperialist Ring from Yugoslavia to Afghanistan

War and Terror

Is use of precise weapons of mass destruction justified to destroy imprecise ones?

Three Arguments Against a War

As America prepares for war, I want to present three arguments for peace:

IS Waging Another War on Iraq Justified?

More than 500,000 toddlers and infants have died due to the consequences of the sanctions (UNICEF, 1999).

Preventing Military Take Overs

Military Reforms

Dam it?

Protest against the extension of Mangla Dam continues despite the mainstream media's ignorance

Rightsizing of the Armed Forces

the huge Pak Army fulfils few strategic functions

The Urdu Press in New York

We never thought we would flee America

The March of Folly

Is It A War On Islam?

What, then, should be the strategy for all those who believe in a just world and are appalled by America's war on the weak?

All The Bridges Are Burning

The United States’ foreign policy has historically oscillated between recklessness of unilateralism and the cautious nature of multilateralism.

USA and Muslims

Muslim extremists generally dislike non-Muslims and they hate various people at local level

Standing Up to a Bully

America has all along, despite Iraq’s acceptance, said it is highly sceptical of Saddam Hussain’s assurances or promises

Khaki wisdom -- One-way ticket to Hell

the world came closer to a nuclear exchange during the recent standoff between India and Pakistan than at any time since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis

Little Big Men

Fanatic five-year-olds with Firearms

Generals: A case study (I)

For generals, on the other hand, any deviation from regimental loyalty and unquestioning obedience is sin

Husain Haqqani at UC Berkeley

Pakistan has to revisit its relationship with India

If Army acts like a Political Party Why not a Forward Bloc in it?

what is a bigger and more deplorable sin: to be a prostitute or to be a pimp?

Games Generals Play

the General deserves to be applauded for forcing a semblance of democracy to the working of political parties

An All-Inclusive Rejoinder to All the Chronic Complainers

there are few nations on the face of earth blessed with such an omnipotent uniformed force

Islamic Utopia?

Reconciling Islam and Modernity

Analysis of Stunning Gains by Religious Parties in Pakistan’s Elections

Pakistan’s Elections: An Unintended Consequence of US War against Terrorism?

Sobho: the struggle continues

I still believe in the revolution, in a society that provides justice for all

Election in Pakistan

unprecedented election results in Pakistan

Myopic, Malevolent, Megalomaniac

Musharraf knows that PPP (P) and PML (N) would not like to join hands with MMA because it displeases USA

Military, Musharraf and Magic

Political experts can opine all they want. They can criticize Musharraf, the Military and the short-term nature of US support.

Unraveling Pakistan: Taming The Shrew-Mare

Pakistan’s Army has become a wild mare. It has to be broken into. It has to be re-taught to walk, run, trot

Democracy is Like Virginity

What I Saw In Okara

An investigation into the Okara land dispute

Were We Too Hijacked by 9/11?

Al-Qaida had to be bombed, to let the Taliban be was not an option.

The Day Of All Days

Pakistan will re-take its first fledging steps towards democracy

Road Blocks in Normalising Relations

If cross border terrorism ceases, facilitating a dialogue between India and Pakistan, will a dividend of long term peace follow?

The April Fool Referendum

a critique of the April 30 referendum and what it may mean for the coming elections

Peace in South Asia

Arundhati Roy gave the Pakistanis a glimpse of what free-thinking is

India’s Potential Lose-Lose-Lose Scenario

India may actually be helping Pakistan in the long run, not harming it, with its current war hysteria

The Quarterbreds of Californet

What choice is left in the face of such enmity?

Of Errant Politicians And The Kashmir Cause

In politics being good is not necessarily good enough

The Last Crusade

Sharon’s visit finally removed the façade from the Israeli diplomacy

My Ruined Breakfast

After that they would like votes, please.

The April Fool Referendum

The military may win this battle but it will destroy the very nation it is so proud to rule

A Contrary Opinion

why not give the goodwill to someone who has only been brutally honest with us

Deja Vu

General Musharraf should be open and honest

Cry, the Beloved Country

There is much that the murdering mobs in Gujarat have robbed from me

The Panel of Vendettas at UC Berkley

A true hero would make a radical notion and never back track

The King’s Gambit: Chapter 3 (The Prostitute)

“Do you play chess, Mr. Prime Minister?”

The Wages of Obedience

The systemic failure of a whole class of people to think honestly and seriously, in short a failure to do their job as political analysts

Empty Vessels And All That Jazz

do you think he is up to task to rid us of feudals next?

The Future Is Another Country: 2050 And Beyond

Osama bin Laden has his own vision of a perfect world and millions will die

The King’s Gambit: Chapter 2 (The Soldier)

“Do you have one more left in you, Michael?” General Yitzhak inquired

1971: A Forgotten Story

We ‘forgot’ to ask for our men to be returned

A Reason For Change

What is really interesting about Marianne Pearl’s interview with CNN is not what she said

Taliban : An Analysis

an ideal Islamic society.

India, Pakistan and America’s Mixed Signals

War is the last thing that we need there

Is Jehad Passe’?

it is too early to say that the military has changed its spots

Muslims and The West After 11th September

America has exacted blood revenge for the Twin Towers

An International Failure

do the Pakistanis know who they are themselves

The Clash Of Un-Civilizations And Osama-ism

It is misleading to think and give an impression that these issues will just disappear if Osama is captured or killed today.

Whither Democracy?

Musharraf appears to have killed two birds with one stone

A Journey Into Afghanistan

Aside to President Bush: Afghans have been conquered and made to submit by only two men

Benazir Bhutto in Sacramento

the terrorist’s greatest fear is the spread of information, social equality and democracy

A Decision to Regret

the Afghans have always resisted a government imposed from abroad

Jihad: Paradoxes and Defining Moments

There will always be a lunatic fringe in the Muslim society

Violent Changes

I will let life go on

Explaining it to an American Friend

godspeed and prudence in this time of grieving

Bahr-e-Zulmaat

a mother who wears the hijab suggested to her 28-year-old daughter she take it off

Implications for India

India needs to show maturity

Black Tuesday: The View From Islamabad

CNN and the US media have so far made little attempt to understand this affliction

Just the End of the Beginning

... will the arraignment of Osama BL be the end of the story?

Why I am leaving

There is just so much wrong with Pakistan today that we, the educated youth, find life here unacceptably difficult

No Fault Of Mine

We nurture a strange vision of patriotism in India these days. As Pakistan yells at us, accusing us of misdeeds, we must shout louder still. Meantime, Kashmir bleeds. So do we all.

A Medley of Internal Contradictions

Shedding tears for the plight of Indian Muslims is also a case of internal contradictions

The Countdown Begins

... the contours of Pakistan’s emerging political scenario point to the first signs of an uneasy coexistence between the military regime and the political forces ...

Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry, SJ

An interview with a war hero ...

The Quest for Power

It took General Zia 14 months after the July 1977 coup to assume the Presidency, while General Musharraf waited 20 months to do the same

Talking to Vajpayee

Vajpayee has demonstrated that he can be different

Reforming the Armed Forces

Like any institution in a status quo society, the Armed Forces badly need reforms as well.

Welcome to the Dark Side

Uncensored .... But until we openly debate and denounce the corruption in journalism, we cannot really condemn it in other institutions.

The Winds of Change

When the world’s only superpower changes direction, smaller states, especially those located on the periphery of potential conflict, have to be nimble in adjusting their policies.

The Chicken Hawks Of Pakistan

The military should accept the fact that it is a dictatorship

Refusing the Sitara-I-Imtiaz

...look at our generals – they get a shovel-full of impressive medals each year that they proudly wear on their chests. But tell me how many wars have they won?

Our Blind Nuclear Prophets

why did Indian and Pakistani defence budgets go up, rather than down, after the May 1998 tests?

A World Upside Down

can the United States honestly determine the reasons behind the tragedies in Washington

Democracy in Pakistan: The Missing Link?

Democracy has long been a buzzword in Pakistan

Bigotry, Racism and American Media

all of us have vividly seen that Israeli security forces consistently breached all international human rights standards

A Different Story

The winds of change are slowly whispering their way across the South Asian sub-continent

Should Pakistan Honor the Lahore Resolution?

why Pakistan failed to become a confederation in accordance with the spirit and content of the Lahore resolution?.

The Imperatives of Power

A physically injured leader has won hands down against the leader of a psychologically injured nation in the world of diplomacy

Negotiating Human Rights

arrested in Pakistan for saving the life of a battered woman

1971 in 2000

... this singular event is consigned to the dustbin of history.

Where Mountains Move

The Story of Chagai

The Flip Side of Democracy

The US public allows its government to make decisions that can alienate a billion people

The People’s Initiative

Exposure to ordinary people serves as a powerful perception changer ...

Negotiating Peace in Kashmir

President Clinton should also exhort the Indian leaders

Celebrating death and union in Wadi

Prayer is better than sleep

When Pakistan Defeated Herself...

there was no way for it [India] to convincingly prove that Pakistan indeed harbored territorial ambitions on i-Kashmir

Just another cry in the dark

In our 53 years of turbulent history the country has seen nothing but thieves and self righteous leaders

A Rumor Of Lies

Pakistan, as a nation, seems to have entered a political terra incognita from which it is unlikely to return

Game Theory and Pakistan

the elite in Pakistan are nothing short of omnivorous parasites

Open Letter to General Musharraf

Field Marshal Ayub Khan was forced out of power after extensive rioting . . .

Eqbal Ahmad: Post - Pokhran Days

The mountain had turned white. I wondered how much pain had been felt by nature ...

Can Clinton Stand in Front of the Taj?

Vices or not, Clinton certainly got to go as far as India

Pakistan - The Way Forward

An Activist’s Appeal

Different Eagles, Same Genus

For the Indian war planners, the Pakistan Air Force is their worst fear...

Famous Last Words or a Messiah in Khakis?

Can the army deliver?

Why Clinton should visit Pakistan

The Americans simply cannot sideline Pakistan...

Let us Not be Foolish

Mistakes, misunderstandings and downright hate have led us too long in India-Pakistan relations...

In the Supreme National Interest

the days of loot and plunder are over

International Monetary Fund (IMF) __ Friend or Foe?

The friendship of IMF is like that of a bear. Its embrace will kill you.

The Millenium Manifesto or ’Ikeesween Sadi Dastoor’

Kashmir does not belong to Pakistan regardless of historical events during partition...

Who will Bell the Bad, Fat Cats?

A scathing look at journalism in Pakistan

Hegemony of the Ruling Elite in Pakistan

We have a chequered past in our experiments with democracy

In Defence of Benevolent Dictators

More democracy ? More of the same ? No thanks

Again, Desperate Times

On seizing power, both Ayub Khan and Pervez Musharraf claimed to have a clear mission

Farce

I think I’ll smoke anyway

Pakistan: Rapprochement with India ‘unstoppable’

One thing is clear: people want peace with India

Compilation of Opinions on the Military Takeover in Pakistan

Peoples opinions and reactions

Text of Speech by Gen. Pervez Musharraf

The choice before us on Oct 12th was between saving the body - that is the nation, at the cost of a limb - which is the Constitution, or saving the limb and losing the whole body

Our Man From Delhi

saade dilli daa mundaa hai jee

Compilation of Articles on the Military Takeover in Pakistan

Views and reviews on the recent events in Pakistan

Pakistan Alert: Revolution in the Making?

Perhaps, this will be the beginning of the World War III

He had no Choice!

A personal perspective on the suspension of parliament

Why An Interim Civilian Government will Fail

Putting up a front government will achieve simply nothing

An Open Letter to Gen. Pervaiz Musharaff

In your one action, you have violated and trashed the Constitution of Pakistan

Masala Democracy

Only in South Asia would a masala mix of militancy, neglect of the masses, and elite politics pass for democracy

Diary of a Coup

A coup d’etat had taken place and everything was going on as if nothing had happened?

Time for a fresh start

Where do we go from here?

Fears of a Military Coup in Pakistan

Army moves in Pakistan

A State of Confusion

Will Pakistan benefit from a change of government?

Connected to: Harsh Kapoor

SPIDER talks to Cyber Warrior Harsh Kapoor about his stance on the recent blocking of the Dawn Internet Edition in India

Love in the Time of Kargil

I am Indian. My wife, Mona, is Pakistani. We got married in Toronto last week

Honour!

So let us rejoice

Kargil and the Myth of Losing the Media War

Consider for a moment that you are NOT a Pakistani

Save India

A martial law administration has to take over the country

Kargil: A view from Pakistan

What gives in the mountains?

After the defeat

An analysis of the Kargil conflict and the ensuing defeat for Pakistan.

Imran Khan: Pakistan’s Next PM?

In terms of being a hypocrite - who in Pakistan isn’t?

A Road To Siachen

An analysis of the Pakistani military thought and its interests in the present crisis

Falsehoods Galore

Pakistan has thus turned into an oligarchy well versed in the art of making things disappear

India’s Failure of Imagination

No one in India, it seems, has a clue what people across the border in Pakistan are thinking

A Visit to Pakistan

Could it be that there is a feeling that India does not accept the existence of Pakistan?

Pokhran-Chaghi audit: Winners and losers

India and Pakistan conducted their nuclear tests one year ago.

The Dark Tower

The editor of Pakistani most outspoken English weekly was arrested in a most undemocratic manner for going abroad and saying what we all say in our living rooms

Balkan Tragedy: A Re-enactment of the 1971 Genocide in Bangladesh

The escalating human tragedy in Kosovo gives me a sense of deja vu

WW III? An Analysis of Yugoslavia

The media has been lying to the world about the crisis in Kosova

The Battle For Kosovo

An argument for the use of NATO ground forces in Kosovo

Don’t Worry Mr. Milosevic, America is With You

the killers of Guclukonak will...punish the killers of Racak

Why Vajpayee’s Trip to Lahore Was a Failure

Vajpayee’s bus trip can be described in one word: nothing

Need for a Confederation

India had never been a Nation, it is still not one

Getting Ready for ‘Bus Diplomacy’

Vajpayee and Sharif get creative. First bombs then bus rides.

A Forgotten Incident

India and Pakistan go to war!

A Line Runs Through It

Siachen-Kargil: India, Pakistan, Kashmir and forgotton lessons of history

Killing Iraqis Before Ramadan Starts

US bombs Iraq following Clinton’s go-ahead wednesday morning

Agenda for Pakistani Press

The press has no credibility

India is South Asia’s Natural Hegemon

Pakistan is more an army with a state than a state with an army.

The Gentleman Must Go

Crisis in the shadows of power: Is Pakistan entering an institutional crisis acknowledging Nawaz Sharif’s imperial designs?

Monks on a Pilgrimage

a peace march to Pakistan across the India-Pakistan border

Talking of Talks

...the Prime Ministers have had a telephone talk

And now, the army!

A scathing commentary with strong opinions

Pakistan Cinema 1947-1997: A Review

Gazdar gives a first rate literary analysis of Maula Jat against the backdrop of Zia’s Martial Law

Pride and Potatoes: Trade with India

Is importing Potatoes a source of pride?

From Zharkent to Laguna Pueblo

We are still suffering from the radiation effects of tests done by China and Russia

India

India I still haven’t told you what you did to Manto when he did not
leave for Pakistan in ’47.

Afghanistan: The Next War

asking Afghanistan’s neighbors to desist from an attack within two-weeks of having done exactly that

Giving Way to Intolerance

During the last many years, religious intolerance and sectarian fanaticism have created a war-like situation in Pakistan

Human Rights Groups Slam Sharif

Women are often the first victims of such moves

The Man Who Stooped to Conquer

And he did it all with a smile

Modern Armies and Their Invincible Plans

The minister was apparently on lunch break and had been for some years

Repercussions of Nuclearization

The question of women and public space in the nuclear debate hardly exists in the popular imagination

Wag the Dog

A war between the lackeys of capitalism claiming to represent the free world, and violent, fascist mercenaries

Dow and NASDAQ set new records

A bull market that bears watching.

Sanctions - the carrot follows the stick.

A crack in the door - sanctions may be lifted soon.

Nuclear South Asia: An Explanation to America

The US and the rest of the world needs to help in the resolution of this issue because if we don’t address it now we will all hear about it later.

Onwards to the Nuclear Abyss

India, Pakistan and the March of Folly

Living with the Bomb

A 2-5 minute flight time, almost zero chances of interception, and the impossibility of recall

Statesmanship Needed

Mr. Bhutto’’s decision to go nuclear would prove pivotal quarter of a century later

A Letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan

A letter urging restraint on part of Pakistan in response to the recent rash behavior of the Government of India.

Defending Pakistan

A paper detailing the military threat Pakistan is faced with and how Pakistan can combat it given it’s economic and political constraints.

Imperatives For Economic Development Of Pakistan

So how can we hammer out a consensus around the proposition that we have to rapidly raise the standard of living of the people in Pakistan?

Funding Lower Education

On the eve of the announcement of a new Education Policy by the Nawaz Sharif Govt. comes a sequel to Educational Apartheid.

UN Sanctions Against Iraq: 10 Myths

Economic sanctions against industrialized countries, which include a ban on foreign trade, can be more lethal than limited military attacks.

Madeleine’s ’Deadly Delusions’

Well over 6 million Indian and Pakistani citizens live in the Middle East and Washington’s apparent indifference towards their safety has roundly ticked off nations who generally need little reason to feel offended.

Calling a Spade a Spade

Thus a new historical precedent was established where 53% of the population were denounced as traitors

Poet Sheikh Ayaz

He was incarcerated many times for his seditious writings and was also sentenced to death, but escaped gallows due to the sudden change of government.

Of BB, AZ, and NYT: The Corruption of Politics and the Politics of Corruption

An analysis of the New York Time’s analysis of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari’s Trail of Corruption. What was important in the story is not what was said, but how it was said and what was left unsaid.

Chowkwalas Interview Pak. Law Minister

Chowk readers conduct a cyber interview with Law Minister Khalid Anwer

Human Chain Across Kashmir

We have done this because we are angry with the United Nations for not getting its resolutions (for plebiscite) implemented.

My Crimson Reality

In which the poet, in the best traditions of Meer, Dard, Ghalib, seems to prefer reality in an intoxicating red shade.

Almost Live in Concert

It is important for us to understand more about DAT’s and Sequencers and how they work because paying $10 or more for a live performance where as only 10% of that is live, in my opinion, is making a fool out of people.

Death of the Raj: Subcontinent in the Third Millennium

The second of two articles outlining a new definition of Pakistan and the Indian sub-continent. Ready your pens for aggressive interaction.

The Old Pakistan is Dead, Long Live New Pakistan

On December 16, 1971 Pakistan ceased to exist during a well celebrated ceremony when Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi and Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Arora signed an armistice document.