By Zaheerul Hassan Pakistan’ 7th Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) opened at Karachi Expo Centre Wednesday show casing locally manufactured military equipment. Some of the major indigenously developed products being showcased in IDEAS-2012 include main battle tank Al Khalid, JF 17 Thunder fighter aircraft, jet trainer aircraft and UAVs in addition to other armaments and communication equipment. While i ...

Posted By Zaheerul Hassan Dear Mr. Obama! Don’t belie the hopes of the ecstatic world, When you sit on the mighty American throne; Try to change your country into a sacred place, Make it shine with piety, as once it shone. I know you inherit the legacy of a devil, Whose hands are full of ravages and blood; Who exulted over the wails and shrieks, Who ruined the peace like a miserable flood. Have an intent ga ...

By Asif Haroon Raja Although India’s borders are not contiguous to Afghanistan, it has always vied to maintain friendly ties with Afghanistan and to keep Pak-Afghan relations frosty. To India, ties with Kabul mean new trade routes, access to Central Asia’s vast energy reserves and a way to stave off the rise of Islamic militancy. It gives an opportunity to India to undermine Pakistan, as it nurtures its sup ...

By Sajjad Shaukat New debate has started in our media, after the statement of Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani who said on November 5 that no individual or institution has the monopoly to decide what is right or wrong in defining the ultimate national interest, adding that armed forces draw their strength from the public support. Therefore, any effort which draws a wedge between the people a ...

By Jude Fernando The outcome of the United States Presidential elections is too close to call. Yet, three presidential debates reinforced the perception among informed voters that Mitt Romney is both a weak and most unpredictable candidate.  He does not grasp the complexities of the economy—a failing he obscures by refusing to be clear about his policies. His continual self-contradiction and his appeal to t ...

Asif Haroon Raja Historically Pak-US relationship has always been marked by convergence and divergence of national interests that kept on switching from friendship to friction. The US gained more during the times of convergence of interests but periods of divergence outweighed the former.  Although Pakistan earned the title of ‘most allied ally of USA’, it is also the most sanctioned country in the world. B ...

Asif Haroon Raja Afghanistan shares 1400 km border with Pakistan. Apart from geographic contiguity, 42% Pashtuns of 28 million population of Afghanistan share religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural ties with 15.2 million Pashtuns of 174 million population of Pakistan. Pashtuns living in close vicinity of Durand Line have blood relations and the border line has never acted as a barrier in their cross bor ...

Posted By Zaheerul Hassan The trial of Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP leaders in Bangladesh as war criminals has divided the Muslim country. Supporters of the ruling Awami League government alleged the arrested opposition leaders were behind the killings, rapes and other atrocities that occurred during the 1971 liberation war while opponents insist that the trials are politically-motivated as the Hasina government ...