By Sajjad Shaukat One of the important causes of the disintegration of the former Soviet Union was that its greater defence expenditure exceeded to the maximum, resulting into economic crisis inside the country. In this regard, about a prolonged war in Afghanistan, the former President Gorbachev had declared it as the “bleeding wound.” However, militarization of the Soviet Union failed in controlling the mo ...

By General Mirza Aslam Beg Former COAS, Pakistan Army Email: friendscolumn@hotmail.com American Secretary of States’ hop-over visit’ to Pakistan, on his way to India, was a crude diplomatic gesture of brow-beating Pakistan. He handed over the demand note, as confirmed by a senior US diplomat – Alice Wells: “US wants to see practical steps from Pakistan, over the next few weeks, and not months, to use its in ...

by Asif Haroon Raja Iran under Reza Shah Pahlavi enjoyed best of relations with USA as well as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Their relations dipped to lowest ebb once Imam Khomeini came to power in March 1979 and the King had to take refuge in Cairo. Iran under Khomeini crashed the twin pillar policy of USA for the Middle East based on Iran and KSA. Islamic revolution in Iran which had a ripple effect in t ...

By Sajjad Shaukat Although 27th of October is celebrated every year as the “Black Day” by the Pakistanis and the Kashmiris all over the world as a protest against Indian illegal occupation of Kashmir on October 27, 1947, yet this time, this very day has come at time when the people of Kashmir have accelerated their legitimate struggle in the aftermath of the martyrdom of the young Kashmir leader Burhan Wani ...

By Asif Haroon Raja The US-North Korea antagonism has its roots in the 1952-3 Korean War which had divided the country. While North Korea is backed by Russia and China, South Korea is protected by the US and it has a large military presence in the country. In order to ward off impending danger posed by USA and its allies, North Korea despite being an impoverished country, developed nuclear bombs and missile ...

By Ishaal Zehra Diwali, a Hindu ritual, has just wrapped up and so is the hearing of the case pertinent to Article 35A of Jammu and Kashmir’s state legislature. The plea was likely to be heard on August 29, but the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government sought for some more time to file their respective replies, as a result of which the hearing was postponed until after the Diwali holidays. The matter ...

By Sajjad Shauka Every year, United Nations Day is celebrated on October 24. On this day in 1945, the United Nations (UN) came into force when the five permanent members of the Security Council ratified its charter This followed a declaration by the UN General Assembly in 1947 which designated 24th of October as United Nations Day, by proclaiming that the day would be instrumental in making people aware of ...

نغمہ حبیب شر اگر محدود بھی ہو توخیر کے ماحول میں ارتعاش ضرور پیدا کرتا ہے اس کی مثال گنتی کے چند دہشت گرد ہیں جنہوں نے پاکستان کے بیس کروڑپُر امن عوام کو پریشان کر رکھا ہے۔ایسے ہی گنتی کے کچھ لوگ بلوچستان میں بھی سر گرم ہیں اور خود کو بلوچوں کا نمائندہ کہتے ہیں یہ لوگ بلوچستان کی ایسی مخدوش اور ہولناک تصویر پیش کرتے ہیں جیسے یہاں خدا نخوستہ قتل عام ہو رہا ہو اور جیسے بلوچوں کی نسل کشی کی جارہی ہو اور صوبے م ...