2015

The energy-rich Central Asia has been the centre of attention of energy-hungry South Asian states especially Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. Two projects, Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) Pipeline and Central Asia-South Asia (CASA-1000) electricity transmission project are of monumental importance in this regard. The groundbreaking ceremony of the former was performed in December 2015 while the latter was inaugurated on May 12, 2016. …

1- Wake-up Call The first prize in the Open category was won by photographer Alex Ingle, who captured the moment of pure joy on a little boy’s face before he jumped onto his grandfather’s legs to wake him up. 2- Cuba Beach Two ladies take a swim in Havana in Alexandre Meneghini’s semi-submerged picture, taken on the second hottest day …

National 1. On Oct 16, Pakistan and ______ signed a government-to-government deal for laying a $2.5 billion pipeline to carry imported LNG from Karachi to Lahore. (a) China        (b) Turkey (c) Japan        (d) Russia 2. On Oct 20, Pakistan ratified WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the ______ WTO member, first from South Asia. (a) 42nd        …

National, International News NATIONAL Oct 16: Following an agreement between MQM and the government, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif set up a Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC). Oct 16: The Supreme Court declared that the present composition of the Federal Services Tribunal (FST) was illegal, and ordered the federal government to de-notify the appointment of its Chairman Sheikh Ahmad Farooq and all …

The Gulf is important for a whole host of reasons, and most people understand that. The religious Holy Land link is but one facet of the relationship. We were the natural first port of call — back in the day when we were bigger, better and stronger — for Arab countries looking to expand after the petro bonanza. We helped …

Security is the most essential component in the survival of a state. For ensuring its survival, a state acquires power; therefore, power is an instrument for the security of state. Power can be hard military power or soft power; the diplomacy, an instrument of foreign policy. In the global politics of a nation, its foreign policy determines its goals, actions …

The making and implementation of foreign and security policies in a parliamentary democratic system is the prerogative of the executive. There is a complex process in the executive for policymaking involving institutional and organisational networks, campaigning by the advocates of different perspectives and mutual accommodation. In Pakistan, foreign and security policies are made jointly by civilian and military authorities with …

Violence against women is, in fact, a delineation of the flawed thinking that is not willing to grant women and girls their due rights. People with this mindset treat women only as an object of sexual satisfaction, sumptuousness and unconditional slavery and loyalty. Those infested with this thinking, owing to their ego and false beliefs, think that degrading women is …

Islam accentuates acquiring knowledge and declares education as imperative for the triumph of Muslims in this world as well as in the Hereafter. The importance Islam accords to education can be judged from the fact that the very first word that was revealed on the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was “IQRA” which means “Read”. The first five verses of the divine …

Around the world and over the decades, when we generalize the concept of successful communicative individuals, and rapidly-developing nations, the sole idea which is predominantly proclaimed as its cornerstone is that of education. In Pakistan education suffers from a dilemma which is extravagantly convoluted but yet to be solved. The predicaments that the education system in Pakistan faces hinder our …