The writer is former president Karchi Chamber of Commerce and Industry The definition of an army is that it is “a large organised body of armed personnel trained for war, especially on land”. The words of Quaid-e-Azam to the army are very indicative of his vision of its role. He stated, “You will have to be alert, very alert, for the time for relaxation is not yet there. With faith, discipline, and selfless devotion to…
Posts published in “Day: October 3, 2016”
Gen Raheel Sharif has become perhaps the most popular military chief in Pakistan. What’s interesting is that his status in this respect has risen parallel to a popularly elected government headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N. Theoretically such an arrangement is beneficial for a country now fighting a complex battle against certain ogres that were allowed to mutate and become an existential threat to the state and polity of Pakistan. Gen Raheel is credited…
KARACHI:- A JF-17 fighter aircraft of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) crashed into the Arabian Sea on September 27 during Exercise High Mark, a private TV channel reported on Saturday. The aircraft, operating from PAF Base Masroor, was on a routine night mission when the accident took place. It is reported that the pilot had ejected safely. The search and rescue operations are being conducted by the Pakistan Navy employing Navy seeking helicopters, P3C Orion aircraft…
Gulbaddin Hekmatyar is known for making unlikely alliances and he has done it yet again by striking a peace deal with the Afghan unity government of President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdullah. One isn’t sure how long his latest deal-making would last in view of the fact that his previous such deals fell by the wayside pretty soon. Most of Hekmatyar’s alliances were made to come into power, though his bid to…
PESHAWAR: The peace agreement between the Afghan government and Hezb-e-Islami (Hekmatyar) has received mixed response in Afghanistan. President Ashraf Ghani signed the document at a ceremony to be held at Arg, the Presidential palace, in Kabul. Gulbaddin Hekmatyar signed it in a video link shown at the ceremony. His location wasn’t disclosed though many Afghan officials used to claim until now that he is in Pakistan. The Afghan government is portraying it as a success…
Afghanistan’s UN ambassador says Pakistan is providing a safe haven for terrorists, such as the Taliban, and has called on China to assert its influence and dissuade Islamabad from supporting terrorist groups in the region. Mahmoud Saikal said neighbouring Pakistan’s support of terrorist groups was the root cause of unrest in Afghanistan. “Most terrorist activities [in Afghanistan] have links to Pakistan,” he said. “The question is not about the Taliban. The question is about the…
ISLAMABAD: At least 49 suspects including 8 Afghan nationals were arrested during search operation of law enforcement agencies in the limits of Tarnol police stations here today. SP Saddar Zone Zeshan Haider told media persons that under National Action Plan (NAP), joint search operation was conducted by Rangers, Intelligent Agencies personnel and police in Sarai Kharboza, Madina Town, Dhoke Paracha, Dhokhe Abbasi and Itfaq colony. During a door to door search operation, heavy weapons including,…
BEIJING: China on Saturday said its technical hold on India’s move to get Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar+ designated a terrorist by the United Nations has “been extended”, days before the expiry of the hold. The Chinese technical hold was set to lapse+ on Monday, and had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist could stand passed automatically. The hold has been extended for another six months. “The technical…
The writer is a former Pakistan ambassador to the UN. FRUSTRATED by Pakistan’s refusal to bow to Indian diktat, encouraged by its strategic partnership with the US, alarmed by the renewed revolt in India-held Jammu and Kashmir and humiliated by the killing of 18 Indian soldiers in Uri, Narendra Modi is on the path of war against Pakistan. He has vowed to “isolate” Pakistan, support Baloch separatists, dam Pakistan’s rivers and conduct “surgical strikes” against…
September 18. Sunday morning. Four alleged militants storm the Indian army barracks in the town of Uri, further worsening the situation. The deadly attack on Uri army camp ends in the death of at least eighteen Indian soldiers and the attackers, according to the Indian authorities. The Indian media reports indicate that the attackers spent at least a day in the mountains above the brigade headquarters complex, observing their target with the help of local…
Sporadic exchange of fire at the LoC that started in the wee hours of last Thursday left the locals tense and worried. It came in the wake of Uri attack and subsequent threats of retaliation from the civilian and military leadership of India. Keeping in view the fact that in case of conventional or unconventional war, AJK will be a prime target, heavy military build-up was underway to counter potential Indian threat of war or…