Daily Articles

THE contours of a new economic and political geography within South Asia are clearly emerging on the map with enhanced connectivity among China, Pakistan, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. This transition is already having a remarkable influence on the thinking patterns, politics, cultures and economic developments in this region. While the traditional South Asian political elite remains in a …

WASHINGTON: President Rona­­ld Reagan once likened trade wars to the pie fights in old Hollywood comedies. One pie in the face leads to another. And then another. Pretty soon, Reagan said in a 1986 radio address, “everything and everybody just gets messier and messier. The difference here is that it’s not funny. It’s tragic. Protectionism becomes destructionism. It costs jobs.” …

The recent IMF report and a sudden depreciation of rupee against dollar suggest the cycle of boon and burst in our economy is unending Last month, while commenting on Pakistan’s state of economy on these pages, I mentioned two divergent views about Pakistan’s economy. First, “Pakistan is making unprecedented economic progress” and second, “Pakistan is on the verge of economic …

Climate change is not an impending crisis, it has already arrived At the recently held Lahore Literary Festival, at which it was appalling to see a sole session on climate change, the CEO of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) started his talk by exclaiming that Pakistan is the seventh most vulnerable country to climate change, but added the caveat that most …

International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest Post Program Monitoring (PPM) report leaves no doubt the country’s economy has already been struck by another crisis on external accounts. That means Pakistan has no option but to knock on the door of the ‘lender of the last resort’ to stabilise its economy. The writing to this bitter effect is on the wall, that …

If we continue to face the image problem for an indefinite period, it can adversely affect our economic growth Post 9/11, Pakistan’s image abroad has been greatly tarnished despite the country’s great successes in the anti-terror war and participation in global peace-keeping efforts under the UN aegis. The national concern about Pakistan’s image abroad led to the constitution of a …

The Mumbai attacks in November 2008 or 26/11 were projected as India’s 9/11, with an objective to tell the international community and the US that India is a victim of Pakistani state terrorism and the world needed to ostracize Pakistan. The media, especially Indian, went into a frenzy, bewildering and confounding the global audience. And the audience falling prey to …

Since the start of the global war on terror by the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan in 2001, India has been struggling to propagate that Pakistan was the epicentre of terrorism in the region. India has been doing that with two main objectives; one, to alienate the US and European major powers against Pakistan, anticipating that ultimately Pakistan will …

After 70 years of extreme chauvinism, we are finally into the doctrine of realism which focuses on the peaceful coexistence with the neighbouring countries. The Bajwa Doctrine, initiated by the rationalistic and logical Gen Qamar Bajwa and his equally able team of the top military command, is all about realising the changes taking place around the country and reshaping policies …

Chinese President Xi Jinping heads the world’s second largest military and economic power, and calls the shots in the country. The recent amendment to China’s constitution that states that a person may serve as president for an unspecified number of terms – even for life – will make him more powerful. To be sure, the amendment is not person-specific. Unless …