THE trial of retired SSP Malir Rao Anwar in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case is emblematic of a dysfunctional state where those with the right connections can seemingly commit heinous acts with impunity. In a recent development, yet another prosecution witness has retracted his statement in court. It was nearly three years ago on Jan 13, 2018, that the 27-year-old was gunned down in cold blood along with three other individuals in an abandoned farmhouse…
Posts published in “Pak Media comment”
by Shahid Javed Burki in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2020.The writer is a former caretaker finance minister and served as vice-president at the World BankThe deal the Afghan Taliban and the Americans signed in Doha, the capital of Qatar, was supposed to move Afghanistan a step or two closer to evolving a system of governance that would meet the needs of its diverse population. The agreement was based on several assumptions. The Americans would…
by M Alam Brohi in daily Times, November 2, 2020The author was a member of the Foreign Service of Pakistan and he has authored two booksThe regional nationalism has been the most prominent feature of political evolution in Pakistan, though in some parts of the country particularly in Bengal, Sindh and KPK, the nationalism was quite assertive even before the inception of the country. A good part of Balochistan remained quasi-independent as a Khanate during…
When it came to power, the PTI had promised a vast improvement in governance and an end to corruption. This has not happened, according to the annual report by the World Justice Project, a private organisation that collects data about governments and countries around the world, and especially open government, or the absence of corruption and adherence to rule of law. Pakistan has slipped considerably from its position in 2019. In 2019, out of 126…
We have a lot to be sombre about on the occasion of the UN’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, marked on November 2 each year since 2013. The day is intended to highlight crimes against journalists. Motives for these crimes vary from action by state agencies, criminal gangs, mafias or from conflict and war – with reporters and camerapersons invariably at the front line. To end such crimes, it is essential…
Addressing a 73rd Independence Day parade of Gilgit Baltistan, the PM expressed the resolve to take on the powerful criminals after fixing the economy. He referred to the irresponsible remarks made on the floor of National Assembly by a senior leader of PPML-N and said that people have witnessed Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq incarnate in the persona of Ayaz Sadiq. He said that tirade launched against the institutions of the state is aimed at…
by Rahimullah Yusufzai in TNS, Nov 1, 2020The writer is resident editor of The News in Peshawar.The blasts in Quetta and Peshawar took place after a threat alert was issued by the NACTA, warning that terrorist groups were planning to carry out large-scale attacks targeting political and religious leaders Peshawar suffered yet another terrorist attack on October 27. The city had largely been spared acts of terrorism for some time due to the weakening of…
by Muhammad Amir Rana in Dawn, November 1st, 2020The writer is a security analyst.COUNTERING the threat of terrorism requires accurate assessment, political resolve, a long-term strategy, and, resilient and in-sync security and law-enforcement structures. Terrorist movements strike back when given a moment to breathe. A decline in terrorist violence has several reasons, but it is too early to declare victory unless terrorist networks are completely dismantled. The terrorists apply both operational and political strategies to…
PML-N LEADER and former speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has triggered a controversy by stating on the floor of the National Assembly that the PTI government had released captured Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan under pressure of an Indian attack. He said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said this in a meeting of parliamentary leaders in the wake of Pakistan’s shooting down of the Indian aircraft. The statement has created a…
By Waqar Gillani in TNS, Nov 1, 2020The author is a staff reporter.The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a mammoth joint venture between the two neighbours – has been facing delays and criticism, both from within and without, since its launch. Several countries including the US have been urging Pakistan to not rely on Chinese loans. At home, the government and the opposition have been trading allegations about delays, alleged corruption in CPEC projects…
Smoke and mirrors: op-ed by Arifa Noor in Dawn, November 3rd, 2020
The writer is a journalist.NAWAZ Sharif has been overshadowed by his own man, former speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq. This past week, there has been little discussion of Nawaz Sharif’s speeches and more about what Sadiq said in the Assembly. Horror and outrage has been our national mood, exhaustingly so. But the outraging is a bit misplaced. The truth is that politics cannot and should not preclude discussion of security matters and even…