THE government’s failure to seriously tackle the menace of circular debt is now threatening to pull down the profitable public-sector oil and gas firms. In a call for help, the Petroleum Division has warned the government of a looming energy crisis unless steps are taken to resolve the cash troubles of companies like PSO, OGDCL, PPL, Pakistan LNG Ltd, SNGPL and SSGC emanating from power-sector debt. These firms are owed Rs1.6tr and face a bleak…
Posts published in “Pak Media comment”
THE killing of a bank manager in the Punjab town of Khushab once again underscores how murder is so easily ‘justified’ on the basis of mere accusations and whipped-up public sentiment. However, this time we also saw a rare example of people coming together to foil an attempt to hastily lend a religious colour to an alleged crime. According to initial reports, the bank manager was shot by an irate security guard after an altercation…
DISTURBING reports have emerged from Lower Dir regarding the possible reappearance of some extremist elements in the area. According to a report published in the media, a poster pasted outside the main gate of a women’s college in Samarbagh threatened students with death if they did not give up their pursuit of higher education. College officials attributed the poster to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan that opposes women’s education, although the group distanced itself from it.…
by Afzal Ali Shigri in Dawn, Dec 6th, 2020The writer, a former IGP Sindh, belongs to Gilgit-Baltistan.GILGIT-BALTISTAN is a feast for the soul with its lofty mountains, shimmering lakes and green vales. It also boasts a rich and diverse culture. Some two million residents, following all major sects of Islam, live in this region. Six languages are spoken here. Despite this diversity, they are closely bonded with a history of shared privations and a collective…
The writer is a Lahore based political economist, writer and Urdu columnist.Many assumed that things would become unpleasant and noisy soon as the war of words and political rallies heated up. But so soon and so massively; very few thought so. The so-called narrative and posture of defiance adopted by the opposition alliance (PDM) in general and PMLN in particular had to come close to the ‘real thing’ sooner or later. However, a veteran politician…
The occurring of public lynching and a murderer being celebrated for his crime is one of the lowest points for society—it represents a complete breakdown of law and order. This is why the incident that occurred in Punjab’s Khushab district, where a security guard shot dead a bank manager for alleged blasphemy is so horrifying. It is relevant to mention that the victim had in all likelihood not committed blasphemy—the differences that arose between the…
The write is Director, Institute of Peace and Diplomatic StudiesGulbuddin Hekmatyar returned back to tumultuous Kabul after a three-day visit to Pakistan meeting with high officials including President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in Islamabad. While he lands back to Kabul, at least 12 people including children were killed after Afghan Military airstrike targeting Taliban fighters hit a religious school in the northeastern province of Takhar. This was a deadly error and investigation are on…
US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was right to warn, in discussions with the Pakistani military leadership just a few days ago, that the way violence is on the rise in Afghanistan it would not be a surprise at all if the talks actually collapsed. According to a US watchdog, which is monitoring all sorts of activity on the ground as the war winds down, violent attacks in the country have increased by about 50 percent…
Over the past few months, US Special Representatives for Afghan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is visiting Pakistan and discussing with Pakistan’s military leadership matters pertaining to regional stability and ongoing Afghan peace process. He called on Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa the other day and held discussion on regional security, the Afghan peace process and border management. Khalilzad appreciated Pakistan’s efforts aimed at restoring peace to Afghanistan. The US point-man on Afghanistan…
by Rustam Shah Mohmand in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2020.The writer is a former chief secretary K-P and former ambassadorRelations between Afghanistan and Pakistan do not seem to be normalising soon. When policies are formulated without regard to ground realities, hiccups and disappointments are inevitable. The gory incident in Jalalabad stadium in Afghanistan on October 20 was unprecedented and has left a terrible memory. The Pakistani Consulate in Jalalabad opened for Afghan visa seekers…
The Bilawal factor
by Fahd Husain in Dawn, November 7th, 2020The writer is Dawn’s resident editor in Islamabad.BILAWAL Bhutto-Zardari’s interview to BBC has set social media ablaze. The PPP chairman said he was surprised by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s naming of the chief of the army and ISI as those responsible for stealing the 2018 elections. He said at the All Parties Conference everyone had agreed to not name names but use the broader term ‘establishment’ when criticising…