Whilst tensions remain high between France and the Muslim world President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to crack down on what he calls ‘Islamic separatism’ has given rise to a fresh controversy. Last week, Islamabad and Paris were involved in a diplomatic row after Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said in Twitter post that “Macron is doing to Muslims what the Nazis did to the Jews. Muslim children will get ID numbers (other children won’t)…
Posts published in “Pak Media comment”
by Shazia Cheema in The Nation,Nov 26, 2020The writer is a teacher, researcher and analyst, pursuing a PhD in Charles University, Prague.Inter-country relationships are built on vision and foresightedness. They require hard work of many years to shape up. As they are based on mutual interest and benefits—that is why both parties must be very sensitive about mutual respect. One irresponsible move can put all the hard work in danger. The classical definition of diplomacy…
Either by design or default, PTI government allowed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was convicted by Accountability Court, to seek treatment in London on the basis of fake medical reports. The track record of his breaking promises and submitting forged documents in the Supreme Court in Panama Papers case was also ignored. Foreign Office informed Islamabad High Court on Tuesday that former Prime Minister was fully aware about the proceedings pertaining to Al-Azizia Steel…
by I.A. Rehman in Dawn, Nov 26, 2020OCCUPATIONAL stress is a problem that all bureaucracies face and no government can ignore it. Advanced states have devoted considerable effort to overcome this phenomenon. In Pakistan too, the matter has been receiving attention for quite some time from the controllers of bureaucracy. Two studies, one on occupational stress in the police force and the other one on the auditor general’s office, were done some time ago. A…
by Fahd Husain in Dawn, November 26th, 2020Scripts go awry. Plans go astray. Events make their own way. Today, all political roads are leading to Multan where the opposition holds its next jalsa on November 30. The roads are bumpy. The opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) ventured on to a straight and narrow path after their All Parties Conference. It was a neat and fairly linear strategy. First they drew up a long list…
The country has had to face huge losses – in billions – that were completely avoidable and could have been prevented if only our policymakers had acted on time and had provided correct information to the prime minister. The petroleum sector alone is one example of the ineptitude of ministers as well as the misinformation provided to the media. And, instead of accepting responsibility, ministers have attempted to hold the bureaucracy, media or past governments…
The ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the second mandatory review under the 6 billion dollar Extended Fund Facility (EFF), a prerequisite for approval to disburse the next tranche, are reportedly log-jammed due to the Fund’s insistence on implementing the politically challenging reforms agreed in July 2019 (pre-pandemic) with the government requesting a more phased approach given the arrival of second wave of the pandemic in the country. In March this year,…
Prime Minister Imran Khan‘s campaign as an opposition leader was widely reported by the media. It would be no exaggeration to claim that media played an important role in bringing his party to power. After coming to power the PTI government has however taken measures to control media. There is a need on the part of the ruling party to realise that while governments come and go, the media continues to remain in place. By…
The 1970 general elections have been different from all the rest, at least on one count — that its results were accepted by all contesting parties. Many of the elections that followed triggered protests from the losing parties and gave rise to political instability in the country. The 1977 elections brought military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq in power in the wake of protests by PNA against prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto over alleged rigging. The…
Yasmeen Aftab Ali in DAILY TIMES,NOV 25, 2020The writer is a lawyer, academic and political analyst.To make diplomacy work, goals of a state must be clearly defined with relation to other states. Diplomacy uses communicative skills, avoiding military force. Diplomacy helps achieve these goals and also plays a role (if allowed to) in preparing foreign policy decisions. What one sees happening in Pakistan, is the diplomatic initiatives being taken away by non-professionals, in many cases…
Corps commanders’ conference: edit in The Frontier Post / Nov 26, 2020
The 237th corps commanders’ conference reviewed the geo-strategic, regional and national security environment and matters pertaining to internal security. Serious concern was shown over irrefutable evidence of Indian state sponsored terrorism and efforts to destabilise Pakistan. The evidence brings to limelight India’s nefarious design to sabotage CPEC and its involvement in financing and training of terrorist organisations. Progress of the Afghan peace process was also reviewed. Addressing the corps commanders’ conference, Chief of Army Staff…