Our major problem is that we cannot seem to separate Counter-insurgency (CI) operations from Counter-terrorism (CT). Terrorism is more urban- based, insurgency normally operates mainly in rural areas. With great sacrifice CI has been a resounding success, a CT policy does finally exist now but it is yet to be translated into reality. Contrast the…
Dear Readers, This DJ issue is dedicated to one of my flying instructors who died recently in Canada. Cal Patrick Tierney was no ordinary individual, both as an instructor and a human being he was outstanding. A very clear and upright person, he was an excellent professional and a very good friend. An extract from…
What a travesty that the prime beneficiary of Ms. Benazir Bhutto’s murder should shed crocodile tears on her death anniversary and call former President Pervez Musharraf a “Billa” (tomcat). While one could disagree with Pervez Musharraf on any number of counts (including the NRO that permitted Zardari another go at Pakistan’s treasure chest), Musharraf is…
To trace the origins of insecurity in Pakistan we must study both the natural and contrived deficiencies in our social, political and economic sectors. Ethnic and religious strife have not only morphed but become further complicated by ruthless terrorist activity. Unfortunately partisan and parochial viewpoints from both sides of the spectrum tend to be counter-productive…
No Army in the world can stand by and tolerate continuing bad or criminal governance or both. The application of the doctrine of necessity does become necessary sometimes in unambiguous circumstances of “clear and present danger” to the existence of the State, it goes wrong when those that apply it forget that their role is…
After weeks of intense speculation in the media, two senior army officers were appointed as Chief of’ Army Staff and Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee on the recommendation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Nov 27. Career infantry officer Lt Gen Raheel Sharif was appointed as the new COAS of the Pakistan Army and…
Consider the theatrics of the absurd by some political clerics at the killing of the terrorist responsible for slaughtering thousands of innocent Pakistanis. Indeed pathetic that the fundamentally moderate Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) should label Tehrik-e-Taliban-i-Pakistan (TTP) Chief Hakimullah Mehsud a “Shaheed”! To safeguard their fiefdoms, politicians and clerics often turn to appeasement of militants. The Army…
Democracy is representative of the will of the majority, our major problems stem from experimenting with various models of ‘imperfect’ democracies. A social state in a true democracy is one in which everyone has equal rights without hereditary or arbitrary differences of rank or privilege. By this simple yardstick alone, do we really have democracy…
According to both legal opinion and mass public perception, prima facie the case against Gen Pervez Musharraf for treason is legally a “slam dunk”, he is guilty as charged. According to Article 6 the extra-constitutional measures Musharraf used on Nov 3, 2009 to remove the SC judges is “treason”. Will the trial court have the…
Power is nothing more than the ability to get others to do what you want. For doing that you require tools of coercion or payment, or “hard power”, and tools of attraction, or “soft power”. Soft power is when a state, an organization or even an individual exercises power with means other than violence and…
