Defence from external aggression and internal threat is the prime responsibility of any government in a state. Soon after becoming a federation of all colonies in 1901, the Australian Defence Forces were created after merger of all colonial forces.1 The structure of the forces has seen many changes based on national and international influences and…
Pakistan is beset by a perverted and sham form of democracy, this version is actually an existential threat and allows the same old decrepit, discredited, deviants and corrupt jokers wearing different party colors to come back into power. If it’s not Nawaz Sharif then its Zardari! Or, if not Rehman Malik then that other masterpiece,…
IntroductionIslam caters for a successful life here and in the hereafter. Muslims have to perform two types of obligations, firstly owed to God (Huqooq-Allah) and secondly, those to fellow human beings (Huqooq-Ul-Ibaad). On the Day of Judgement, if one had short-comings in giving his due rights to his fellow human being (Huqooq-Ul-Ibaad) and he did…
“War has a grammar of its own, but its logic is not peculiar to itself.” Clausewitz The recent advance of Sunni extremist group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in northern and western Iraq took many by surprise. In a few days, ISIS fighters…
In the back drop of resonations about usage of Indian origin arms and ammunition by the attackers of Karachi airport and recovery of huge cache of such weapons and munitions, the Indian Prime Minister has condemned the terrorist attack on Karachi Airport. In a letter to his Pakistani counterpart he has expressed sorrow over the…
“The new law adds another layer to the national defense force to further protect our nation, secure its borders (and) preserve its achievements.”- His Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of United Arab Emirates…
Better late than never, the much awaited assault on North Waziristan has begun, 75 days later than it should have. To quote my article, “Non-stop” of Mar 6, 2014, “The precision strikes of the PAF disrupted the TTP’s administrative and operational deployment. More importantly, ‘actionable intelligence’ was available for these to be carried out, that…
One is proud of the will, courage, commitment and sacrifice of our 34th PMA Sri Lankan course-mates, they fought terrorism for over 25 years through Sri Lanka’s darkest period. My good friend Maj Gen (Lucky) Wijayaratne, who when commanding 1st Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLI) at Panagoda “inducted” me into his battalion, was killed in…
Waging guerilla warfare against the Mughals in the 18th century, the Khalsa Sikhs would cross the canals in the Punjab over temporary wooden bridges to launch surprise attacks, while retreating they would quickly dismantle these bridges by uprooting (Chak De) the wooden planks (Phatte) to prevent being chased. The phrase “Chak De Phatte” is commonly…
Evaluating the Nawaz-Modi summit, Indian Express commented: “while the Pakistani side appeared gung-ho and optimistic about the meeting, the Indian side was more realistic about its expectations and cautious about the outcome”. Evaluations in Pakistan are erratic varying over a broad spectrum ranging from sell-out to strategic victory. As realists, both Modi and Sharif probably…
