“It’s official: The US is the world’s leading terrorist state, and proud of it.” That should have been the headline for the lead story in the New York Times, which was more politely titled “CIA Study of Covert Aid Fueled Skepticism About Helping Syrian Rebels.” The article reports on a CIA review of recent US covert operations to determine their …

The key political issue of our age Does this sometimes feel like a country under enemy occupation? Do you wonder why the demands of so much of the electorate seldom translate into policy? Why parties of the left seem incapable of offering effective opposition to market fundamentalism, let alone proposing coherent alternatives? Do you wonder why those who want a …

Will Iran And The West Reach An Agreement In 2015? The failure of the “P5+1” (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and Iran to meet the November 24, 2014 deadline for reaching a final nuclear agreement was indeed a setback. However, the decision to extend the deadline to July 2015 was a victory for diplomacy. …

Pakistan is relatively a young nation with 69% of its total population falling below 29 years of age and almost 53% below 19 years. Therefore, ameliorating the situation in Pakistan for better future of our youngsters is of vital importance. Unfortunately, at present, Pakistan lags far behind other developing countries in terms of education, health social safety nets particularly for …

The year 2014 began in Pakistan with business as usual but closed rather dramatically with a paradigm shift in our way of politics, state governance and split of society into those struggling for a change and the ones adamant to maintain status quo. In between were happenings much of which never witnessed before.

The massacre of 132 children in grades one to ten and nine of their teachers in a Peshawar school shook not only Pakistan but the world also. These innocent children wiped out by beasts and not humans became yet further victims in the atrocious war waged by terrorists; because whether it is Columbine and Newtown in the United States,

Two years ago, the physicist Neil Gershenfeld argued that the next great digital revolution would come not in computing or communication but in fabrication. Today, 3-D printing, which uses digital data to rapidly construct physical objects, is more accessible than ever. Automakers are placing the latest printing devices on factory floors; design students are learning that they can make virtually …

The US-Pakistan relations are characterized by increasing divergence between the two countries rather than the convergence. A potential convergence also exists on the end game in Afghanistan and a strategic cooperation leading to a broad partnership in other spheres but it will take a Herculean effort on both sides to overcome their differences. This relationship has served some important interests …

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a universal phenomenon that affects all societies one way or the other. Almost every woman faces discrimination or fear because of her gender. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least one in every five of the world’s females has been physically or sexually abused. GBV affects both physical and emotional health of women and …

To be among top 50-100 candidates, you need to score at least 56% (672) to 60% (720) in the written exam of 1200 marks. But, you cannot get 60% grades in each subject. For instance, the Essay paper gives a tough time to most aspirants. Nevertheless, a very specific lot can go up to 50% and even 60%. Similarly, scoring …