September 2013

John Kerry’s Pakistan trip might be all smiles and handshakes, but there’s a crisis brewing beneath the surface. On July 31, following several false starts, US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Islamabad for meetings with Pakistan’s political and military leadership. And while the visit comes at a turbulent time for Pakistan — on the heels of a massive …

Historically, the Balochistan region consisted of the current province of Balochistan in Pakistan, Sistan and Baluchestan province in Iran and some area in Afghanistan. Today, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan by occupying 43% of its total area. In 1947, Balochistan comprised four princely states namely Makran, Lasbela, Kharan and Kalat. The first three states opted to accede to …

Pakistan is back in the arms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), having stayed out of them for just over a couple of years. By way of a letter of intent dispatched to Washington, Islamabad has formally requested the institution to come up with another programme. We need to understand this new approach to the Fund in the historical context. …

The happenings during the holy month of Ramadan showed yet another time, if, at all, any further reminder was needed, that Pakistan’s internal security challenge still remains the most daunting. As a newspaper report highlighted, more than 350 people have lost their lives since the new government took office in early June. As if the Bannu jailbreak was not enough …

Seeing the horrific images of the Egyptian military’s crackdown on supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo and other cities across the country, it seems that the ongoing political crisis may have passed a critically important and tragic threshold. Where the Egypt’s military government under the leadership of General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has claimed, with some justification, to be …

In his recent statement, a former Indian investigating officer Satish Verma disclosed that terror attacks on Mumbai on November 26, 2008 and assault on the Indian Parliament on January 12, 2001 were orchestrated by the Indian government. According to Indian media’ in ‘Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case’ an Under Secretary of Interior Ministry has submitted an affidavit in the court …

Former US President George W. Bush’s quoted statement was manifestly the recognition of Pakistan’s contributions in ‘War against Terrorism’. For some, it added a new chapter to Pak-US ties. Both countries agreed to initiate US-Pakistan Strategic Partnership Dialogue in March 2006 during a meeting between the two presidents in Islamabad. A notable fact is that the dialogue was initiated exactly …

American Secretary of State John Kerry is by no means the first United States envoy to broker peace talks between Israel and Palestine. However, he might very well be the last. Scepticism about Kerry’s project ‘Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement’ is nearly universal, and it’s understandable when you look at the graveyard of past negotiations. If the return to the negotiating table …

Recent massive jailbreaks in Libya, Iraq and Pakistan, all occurring within days of one another, beg the question: what constitutes a coincidence in foreign affairs? Are these attacks happy coincidences for the newly-freed criminals, or a connected series of events? And, with al-Qaeda affiliates already claiming responsibility for two of these assaults, should the United States consider the possibility that …

As NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan continues, China finds itself in a conundrum. With tensions flaring throughout the Asia-Pacific, the last thing Beijing wants is to face a security threat along its western border. China needs to become more involved in efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. The United States and its international partners thus have an opportunity to provide incentive for China …