Posts published in “Day: January 18, 2016”

The writer is a security analyst. THE last few weeks have been crucial for Pakistan’s foreign policy. Apparently, the civilian and military leaderships dealt successfully with the challenges thrown up by developments in the region and the Middle East. However, the question remains: is Pakistan’s foreign policy orientation heading towards a major shift, or merely undergoing some adjustments? Let us have a look at some major highlights of the past few weeks. First, the Saudi…

The writer is a human rights worker and freelance columnist. PM Nawaz, army chief head to Saudi, Iran to mend rift”, was a news headline from yesterday that ought to be music to Pakistani ears for more reasons than one. The two are off to Saudi Arabia on Monday and then onward to Iran on Tuesday in an effort to diffuse heightened tensions between the two rivals after Saudi Arabia executed Nimri and the Saudi…

LAHORE – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia and Iran, beginning tomorrow, is a very noble mission, in accordance with the injunctions of Islam. Accompanied by Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, the third-time chief executive of the Islamic world’s only nuclear power will try to defuse tensions between two countries, whose relations have always been roller coaster for one reason or the other. In fact, compared to any other leader Pakistan’s prime minister…

The writer is a member of staff. INTERVENE! Stay neutral! Mediate! Think pipeline. Think oil. Don’t get involved. We’re already involved. Stay united. They’ve fractured us already. Everyone’s got an opinion on Saudi-Iran. Most think Nawaz would sell us down the river to the Saudis in a heartbeat. He owes them his life; he’s spiritually close to them; his business empire is at stake; yada yada. Some think it’s the boys who are set on…

All political parties represented in parliament have demanded that the government pursue a non-partisan policy in the current Saudi-Iran dispute. Some have demanded the government to undertake mediation between the two. Sensing the public mood, the parliament opposed military support sought by Riyadh when it initiated attacks against the Houthis in Yemen. While the government agreed to be a party to the Saudi-led military alliance against the terrorists, it sought clarification about the alliance’s scope…

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that Daesh and Tahreek-e- Talban Pakistan (TTP) are two sides of the same coin. They both are terrorists organisations and considers them humanity and Islam’s enemy. On the occasion of the 28th passing out parade of Eaglet Course held at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Elite Police Training Centre, the CM said that the terrorists were trying to destabilise the nation. “The people of Pakistan won independence after…

Karachi: The acting convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) coordination committee, Nadeem Nusrat, on Friday strongly criticized the elements denying existence of Islamic State even after the outfit’s increasing involvement in terror activities across the country. In a statement issued from the party’s London Secretariat, Nusrat said the elements denying the presence of ISIS should be ashamed at their foolishness, especially after the recent wave of terror activities in Karachi and Islamabad. He said it…

The writer is former executive editor of The News and a senior journalist with Geo TV. No one should shed a tear or feel sad if the powerful are put in the dock for financial corruption and embezzlement. In this country justice has been particularly blind to the misdeeds of the rich and their sidekicks. If a few of them are made to pay the price of their terrible actions, we should all be happy.…

Disappointed by the failed counter-extremism strategies, Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs Faiz Mohammad Osmani expressed concerns over presence of extremist groups in the country. Addressing a three-day seminar aimed at finding solutions to deal with extremism in the war-hit country, the minister said the other day that effective and goal-oriented measures were not initiated so far in the country to fight the extremists. All participants are agreeing that extremist groups who unleashed violence in…

KABUL, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber struck the home of a tribal elder in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad Sunday morning, killing at least 13 people, an official said. It was the latest attack in the increasingly volatile Nangarhar Province. The attacker, who at midafternoon had not been identified, targeted the home of Malik Usman Shinwari, the father of two prominent government officials, said Attaullah Khogeyanai, a spokesman for the provincial governor. Mr. Shinwari…