Li Keqiang’s first visit to Pakistan and confusing plans for peace
Excitement is abuzz as the Chinese Premier begins his visit to Pakistan today. Mobile services have been suspended in Rawalpindi and Islamabad as a preemptive security measure and the Pakistan Army has assumed the responsibility to provide security for Li Keqiang’s first visit to Pakistan. The newly elected Chinese Premier had been in India before where he couldn’t escape India’s objections and had to offer explanations about the Chinese interest in development activities in Pakistan. Additionally, he spoke of about ways to improve Sino-India relations over border disputes. Li’s visit to Pakistan, however, is significant in many ways. Not only has he received the prestigious award of Nishan-e-Pakistan, he will be addressing ...
Read Full Post
Elections 2013: Will the ‘injured’ parties refuse the results?
The country goes to poll on May 11, 2013 to elect the new democratic government for the next five years. The Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Interim Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso have already assured the people of Pakistan that fair and free elections will be held. However, the ground reality might be different. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other right-wing parties have enjoyed large public gatherings in Punjab, while other liberal political parties mainly, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and Baloch nationalist parties ...
Read Full Post
No place for Ahmadis in Imran Khan’s Naya Pakistan
Imran Khan’s latest video sums up everything that is wrong with our politicians. He has long been bandied about as a saviour and messiah, come to rescue this country and build towards a ‘Naya Pakistan’. On paper, he is educated, courageous and relentless in pursuit of success. His cricket days endeared him to millions in this country and his charity work is exemplary. I do not doubt his honesty and I do not doubt his intentions. Just like any other political candidate, I seek to judge him based on what he says and what he does. His video, however, where ...
Read Full Post
Death of ideology
In Pakistan, there has been a death of ideology of sorts in the wake of the elections. Day in and day out political parties, which appear to be secular – on paper at least – are targeted by insurgent elements. Out of the four provinces, three have almost no election campaigns as parties are afraid of speaking out. One side of the argument may very well be that electoral candidates ought to be provided with adequate security so that they can effectively carry out their campaigns. However, provision of security is only a part of the very complex problem. The real ...
Read Full Post
Election campaigns: What about those who are not victims of a drone attack?
This is a request to those who are free to conduct election campaigns for their political parties before the country goes to poll on May 11, 2013. Most of you are lamenting the drone attacks on Pakistani soil and vow to change the situation as soon as you assume power. Some of you are outright Taliban sympathisers and believe that a dialogue with them would yield desired results. A few of you have openly associated with terrorist outfits and have even sought their blessings before the elections. Even though it pains me to see you succumb to them, I won’t criticise your diplomacy because ...
Read Full Post
A SWOT analysis of Pakistan’s political parties
The following is an analysis of our political parties gauged on their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT): Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Strengths: PML-N has a strong following in Punjab – the largest and most powerful province in Pakistan. Furthermore, it has a great alignment with right wing groups and religious circles. Major cities of Punjab have seen tremendous development during the last five years. Weaknesses: PML-N has not been able to carry out any substantial development in remote areas and far off villages of Punjab. It has teamed up with same old faces that previously supported and strengthened a dictator’s government. Opportunities: The poor performance ...
Read Full Post
Do you know about the people of Tirah valley?
Have you ever heard of the valley of Tirah? This is not some valley in distant country in a faraway continent; it is located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), in the northwest of Pakistan. Recently, Tirah has fallen into the hands of the Taliban after a fierce couple of months of fighting. The main battle for control of Tirah was between the Ansarul Islam (AI) and the Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) backed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The news of this fight has been covered extensively by some of the leading daily newspapers of Pakistan, but unfortunately, the mainstream news channels of Pakistan have completely ...
Read Full Post
Dreams do come true: Malala goes back to school
There is a Malala in each and every girl of this unfortunate country. Amidst this war torn country, this teenager voiced her opinion against those elements of society which, quite atrociously advocate that girls should not be allowed to go to school. For them, she is just an ordinary girl. For us, she is a hero. Now, she wears a smile on her face as she strides along the streets of Birmingham, towards Edgbaston High School. She has seen yet another day when she can put on a school uniform and continue with her education. In Pakistan, a society where girls’ schools are being burnt ...
Read Full Post
Dancing with the Taliban
I am not a national security expert – I could not intelligently drop one relevant term if I wanted to. Thanks to my mother’s geographical coordinates when she gave birth, I have a green passport (for which I signed away the religious rights of over three million Pakistanis). I feel like someone is about to sign my rights away as our politicos endorse negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Again. On February 14, as the world celebrated One Billion Rising (OBR), marching and dancing in protest against women’s rights being violated, a room full of (mostly) men decided talks with a ...
Read Full Post
Drone strikes kill real people; here are the ones I know
Yesterday, Senator Lindsay Graham, made the following remark: “We’ve killed 4,700.” “Sometimes you hit innocent people, and I hate that, but we’re at war, and we’ve taken out some very senior members of al Qaeda.” And in this swift statement, all the damage caused and all the lives destroyed by drone strikes have been justified – just because Senator Lindsay “hates” it. A huge number of civilian victims of the US drone attacks in Waziristan still remain silhouettes to euphemisms like ‘collateral damage’. Their voices are muted under the constant humming of US drones circling their villages causing constant fear and immense psychological damage. They are ...
Read Full Post
