The Most Effective Way to Combat Terrorism On the way towards fighting militancy with force, it seems Pakistan has finally realized that terrorism cannot be defeated by employing kinetic measures only. It’s a highly complicated phenomenon, and the increased degree of its complexity makes it next to impossible for any ‘single-step’ strategy to succeed. Ideology may not be the only …
Read More »Hart-Fuller Debate & The 21st Amendment
The 21st Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan after the Presidential assent on 7th January 2015 has become the law of the land. Notional debate on the substance of the Amendment in the media is still on. The purpose of this writing is to briefly examine some aspects of the Amendment.
Read More »Pakistan’s Foreign Relations in 2014
The year 2014 has been a period of tumult as well as great gains in the realm of foreign policy. Pakistan’s relations with its neighbours except India and other superpowers improved a lot during this year. Pakistan, keeping in view its geostrategic position and econo-political conditions in present times, needs to enhance its bilateral relations with other countries. The association …
Read More »The Sit-ins and Naya Pakistan
Pakistan verily has a dynamic political history and street politics has always been a crucial part of it. Protests, processions, long marches and sit-ins have occurred during military dictatorships and civilian regimes alike. Sometimes largely peaceful and sometimes marred by bullets and blood, protest movements have achieved varying results in the past.
Read More »Has Pakistan Become A ‘Dream Gone Sour’?
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,
Read More »Islamic Banking Explained
Islamic banking is defined as a banking system which is in consonance with the spirit, ethos and value system of Islam and governed by the principles laid down by Shariah. As per the ordainments of Shariah, Islamic banking cannot deal in transactions involving interest/riba (an increase stipulated or sought over the principal of a loan or debt).
Read More »Falling Oil Prices
Who are the winners and losers? During the course of past six months, the global oil prices have fallen sharply. From 2010 until mid-2014, world oil prices had been fairly stable, at around $110 a barrel. But since June 2014 these have almost halved. On January 13, 2015 the price of a barrel of Brent Crude crashed through the psychological …
Read More »Sanctions, Economic War Crimes
A Russian Viewpoint The European Union and United States have been targeting Russia with economic sanctions. On 17 March 2014, the EU imposed the first travel bans and asset freezes against Russian and Ukrainian officials following Russia’s annexation of Crimea as there was “absence of de-escalatory steps by the Russian Federation”. Here is a write-up which elucidates the Russian viewpoint …
Read More »Book Review: Shaam-i-Shaer-i-Yaraan By Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi
Reviewed by: Nadeem Zuberi Book: ‘Shaam-i-Shaer-i-Yaraan’ Author: Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi Publisher: Jahangir Books, A-89 Deen pur Road, Lahore. Pages: 437 Price: Rs 1199
Read More »Design Within Reach
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 …
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