Posts published in “Day: October 5, 2016”

After taking less than four years to consolidate his image as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong and emerging as a world leader as host of the recent G20 summit in Hangzhou, President Xi Jinping might be more confident about pursuing his ambitious national rejuvenation programme as he officiates at National Day celebrations marking the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic. But Xi still faces the most crucial test of his…

BEIJING—China is struggling with a string of rust-belt corruption cases that reflect the government’s troubles delivering on one of its signature policies: reducing the bloat in major industries that are dragging down the economy. In the latest case, made public by official media this week, prosecutors accused a midlevel official of siphoning at least $6.3 million in government funds meant to help laid-off workers. Under the alleged scheme, prosecutors say local companies exaggerated the amount…

PRINCETON, N.J. — Movie theaters and studios are rarely the focus of geopolitical conflict. But 16 members of Congress are raising this question: Should foreign acquisition of these kinds of American companies be subject to special scrutiny? In a recent letter, those politicians cited the case of the Dalian Wanda Group, the Chinese conglomerate that in January bought Legendary Entertainment, one of Hollywood’s biggest production companies, for as much as $3.5 billion. In 2012, Wanda…

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal has described Iran and Saudi Arabia’s desire to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework as a good indication and said Pakistan would welcome their participation. “We will welcome both the brotherly Islamic countries if they want to be part of CPEC,” he told APP. Pakistan, he said, would also welcome and appreciate any friendly country which wanted to take part in the multibillion-dollar flagship project…

TEHRAN: Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Friday that continued crisis between India and Pakistan leads to regional instability and called on the two sides to exercise restrain, reports IRNA. The Islamic Republic of Iran is to invite the two neighboring states of India and Pakistan to observe restrain and avoid resort to any non-peaceful means, while urging them to resolve their problems through direct negotiations, he said. Mounting tension and continued crisis between…

LAHORE – Another four members of the self-styled Islamic State group were arrested during a successful operation near the Multan Railway station, an official of the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department told The Nation yesterday. At least eight hand grenades, maps and some pictures of IS leader Abu Bakar Al-Baghdadi were also recovered from the militants who belonged to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and Daesh, the Middle East-based group which controls large swaths of Syria and Iraq. The…

The writer is an Islamabad-based TV journalist You wake up one morning to the Indian claims that its soldiers had crossed the Line of Control and carried out attacks on Azad Kashmir soil. What comes to your mind immediately? Yeah, after bloody hell. War. Nuclear war. That is exactly what occurred to me. As the day passed by and we saw an intelligent and timely rebuttal by the Pakistani state, folks like me heaved a…

My last week’s column boldly insisted that there was not going to be a war between the two nuclear armed states. As of the latest, aggression has indeed taken place. The Indian army claims to have conducted surgical strikes into Pakistan controlled territory. Pakistan has denied this claim and has insisted that it was the usual cross border firings, this time including mortars. Regardless, 2 Pakistani army personnel have died. As a response, the Pakistan…

The writer is a former armour and SSG officer. From day one the Indian media and retired Indian generals and bureaucrats had been clamouring for revenge. It was presupposed that the raiders at Uri were Pakistani. The options discussed for ‘punishing’ Pakistan in the Indian media were: 1) long-range artillery bombardment of Pakistani positions on the LoC and at so-called ‘terrorists’ camps in Azad Kashmir; 2) surgical strikes on these camps; 3) surgical strikes on…

The writer is a journalist based in Karachi. Relying on nuclear deterrence as our main military strategy against India can be quite a dicey proposition. It requires India to believe that we are crazy enough to actually use nuclear weapons and not care that we could certainly be reduced to a parking lot in return while convincing the rest of the world that we would never do anything quite that outlandish. The day India can…