Context As the alliances associated with the global balance of power remain in the heightened state of flux, the organizations through which these tectonic shifts are being manifested, such as United Nations, BRICS, NATO and SCO are critical to observe. An inquiry that goes along with this examination is to understand the purposes of these…
The First World War was a global conflict with millions of soldiers fighting in theatres all over the globe. All belligerents captured hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war (POWs). British, Prussian, Czarist, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires mobilized native citizens as well imperial subjects for war. The Ottoman Empire was influenced by Prussian military system…
The grand old man was 89 when he lost the struggle against his cancer. The news about the demise of Ross Perot Sr. in Dallas came as a shock one is never ready and prepared for losing someone. His son Ross Perot Jr is one of my best friends. Born in modest circumstances in Texas…
Introduction This is the third article in the series of “Understanding Islam” through the book “Ta’rif-e-Aam bi-Din il-Islam”, [General introduction to Islam] written by renowned Syrian scholar Shaikh Ali Tantawi. He was among the few scholars who were educated in both secular and religious education. This is a simple book for everyone, Muslim or no-Muslims, written…
Immediately after the Pulwama suicide attack on 14 February 2019, in which a young Kashmiri lad blew himself up killing 40 Indian para-military troops, a cacophony of accusations were hurled against Pakistan. In a purported phone call, the caller claiming to be a representative of the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) an internationally proscribed terrorist organisation was said…
The US-Iran diplomatic estrangement cannot be divorced from their hostile history which is full of various antagonistic standings and inflexible behaviour. The leaders of both countries remained reluctant in bringing flexibility in their diplomatic stubbornness. In the absence of diplomatically cooperative and politically friendly ties, officials of both states showed determination to support the hostile…
Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution states that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient”. Informally, this has been the going practice off and on for a variety…
The mantra of anyone who claims for him/ herself the role of leader, ought to be “I have a dream”. The followers have to be assured that there is sun behind the clouds and that each cloud has a silver lining. No, wonder that Martin Luther King Jr had masses rallying around him, when he…
The Importance of FM Javad Zarif’s Visit to Pakistan There is no gainsaying to the fact that the geostrategic, geopolitical and geo-economic factors have, indubitably, always played a pivotal role in bringing states together so as to maximise their socioeconomic and security interests. On the same line, both Pakistan and Iran, due to their geographical…
While the US is anticipating conclusion of a peace agreement with the Taliban by September, followed by elections in which Taliban could participate as apolitical group, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani fears fading into oblivion. In his quest for continued relevance in future Afghan landscape, he visited Pakistan on 27-28 June. Long pending invitation by…
