February 2016

Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have long been a victim of turmoil. If on one side, the terrorists killed thousands of innocent people, the military operations too added to their woes, on the other. The generous, hospitable and hardworking people of Fata have been deprived of their basic human rights. However, a ray of hope emerged on Nov 8, …

As a new year gift to the business community the Government of Pakistan, on Jan 01, announced yet another tax amnesty scheme that will allow the taxpayers to enter into the tax net by simply paying 1% tax on their black money and turning it into white. The scheme, which will be valid from 2016 to 2018, sets three tax …

In the last two decades, the world has had a chance to see what tragedies and absurdities can be instigated by the imperial ambitions of Washington and the connivance of the international community. It was the White House’s desire to expand its political, economic and military domination that has brought chaos to many countries, resulted in the destruction of the …

Introduction The National Action Plan (NAP), consisting of twenty policy actions to fight terrorism, has got attention from all quarters due to its anecdotal, administrative and political origins. Although many analysts and experts have discussed its various facets in their writings, the aspect that has received only a little or even zero attention is the constitutional and legal status of …

Pakistan’s Gwadar Port has got a unique geostrategic and geopolitical importance in the changing dynamics of the contemporary global politics when the sea trade is getting quite complex as it is situated at the mouth of Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz which holds 2/3rd of world’s oil reserves. Further, it is located at cross junction of international shipping lanes and …

After terrorist attacks on Faisal Airbase, Karachi Airport and Badhaber Camp, valiant soldiers of our security forces and Special Services Group not only brought the situation under control but also sent all the attackers to hell. The attack on India’s Pathankot Airbase has a striking similarity with the abovementioned ones and its evidence is coming to light. Attacks on these …

Russian airstrikes against ISIS — and in support of the Assad regime — in Syria do not resonate well with the United States that is desirous of defeating the outfit but sees Assad as a destabilizer of Syrian politics. Moreover, Iran has been traditionally supportive of the Assad regime; in contrast to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE who form …

The year 2015 was marked by violence and war. The most prevalent story in the US media throughout the year was ISIS. The Paris attacks, mass shootings, police brutality, terrorism, the Charleston massacre and the refugee crisis were also among the top 10 stories of the year. The US, as the world’s leading military power, played an important role in …

The nature of the war in Afghanistan has shifted dramatically in recent months. While the US and Nato continue to be actively involved in the country — their strategic objectives having changed very little since the Bush administration launched the war in 2001 — the complexion of the battlefield, and the parties actively engaged in the war, has changed significantly. …

The Israel-Palestine conflict has long been calling for a peaceful resolution but till this day neither the United Nations nor the world’s superpower have done something solid to allay Palestinian concerns and to hold the Israel accountable for the crimes atrocities it had committed against the innocent Palestinians. At present, the whole Middle East is burning in the fire of …