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Anatomy
of October 19 Blasts
Columnist
ADNAN GILL conducts a post mortem of the Oct 19 bomb
blasts and finds that there are more questions than
answers.
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The way the Pakistani government
covers up every single bomb attack by declaring that
it was an action of suicide bomber has become a regular
theme. Mostly people buy the government’s version
with little or no questions asked. Fortunately for
us, and unfortunately for the establishment, the October
19 twin-bombing attacks (allegedly) on Pakistan People’s
Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto were captured by
numerous private TV cameras and by the print-media
photographers. Most of these videos and still-photographs
which are available on the Internet for the public
to view potentially suggest a cover-up going up to
the highest levels.......more
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 Indo-US
Nuclear Deal
Columnist
ZAFAR NAWAZ JASPAL argues that the Indo-US nuclear
deal would be perilous for the nuclear nonproliferation
regime and dangerous for South Asian strategic equilibrium.
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh considers the controversial
Indo-US nuclear deal imperative for cementing Washington-Delhi
Strategic Partnership, despite the opposition of his
coalition partners. He is endeavoring to surpass external
and internal restraints and put the nuclear deal into
operation as soon as possible. The Singh government,
therefore, is softening the internal and external
resentment. It is busy in cultivating a consensus
in the internal politics of India, especially in the
ruling United Progressive Alliance to implement the
nuclear deal. Simultaneously, the Singh government,
with the assistance of Washington has also been lobbying
for amending the nuclear nonproliferation regime norms
to ensure uninterrupted nuclear business between India
and the United States.
The nuclear deal is a contested issue in Indian and
Global politics but notwithstanding the same there
are ample chances that it would be operational by
the original time frame of 2008.1 Press reports manifest
that PM Singh has been doing his best to muster support
from the Left parties’ parliamentarians in Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha. To this end he stated, “What
we have done with the US, it is an honorable deal,
it is good for India, and it is good for the world.
But we are in the realm of politics, and within our
coalition, there are differing perceptions.”2
His Congress colleagues have intensified their efforts
to allay the apprehensions of the Left allies over
the agreement........more
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Reply To “Frederic Grare’s Paper – Rethinking
Western Strategies towards Pakistan
Columnist FAZAL HABIB
CURMALLY
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The Introduction
The twentieth century has been a watershed era in
the history of the world. This century dawned on
European colonial empires. Then Europe committed
suicide in the two World Wars and as a result, had
to set their colonies free. The most awesome discovery
of the century was the Atom bomb and then the fusion
bomb or the Hydrogen bomb which led to the Cold
War between the USA and Soviet Union. But the Soviet
Union imploded leaving one super power in the world.
Finally we are living through the challenge to the
writ of the West. America had from 1989-1990 till
9/10 in the year 2001 to bask in its glory as a
superpower. It is also the era of Religious Fundamentalism
and extremism. Best of all, the only extremists
are not the Muslims but Judaism and Christianity
have their fair share too. The assassination of
Premier Yitzak Rabin of Israel who was felled by
a young ultra-right Jew and the re-election of President
George Walker Bush for a second term in office in
2004 is proof of that. Then we have the bilge that
spews from the mouth of the elected US Senators
and representatives and the erstwhile wise men commentators
in the USA along with TV revivalist preachers like
Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and then we have commentator
Ann Coulter is proof enough. If we believe the Muslims
of the world have their fair share of loonies, then
we are not alone. There has been a concerted challenge
to secularism in the 1970s and today the Christian,
Jewish and Muslim loonies of the world have held
the world hostage and are talking at each other’s
audiences in this age of the electronic media........more
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Pakistan’s
Survival and Security Threats
Columnist TAUQEER H. TAKI SIRGANA
writes about the threats faced by Pakistan immediately
after gaining independence.
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Introduction
Pakistan and India, the most prominent and neighboring
countries of South Asia started their journey with
a quest of identity. This identity not only showed
them the way of survival but the way towards progress
as well. Their relation with each other was divided
in the name of religion, culture, political and social
norms and values. Immediately after independence these
differences diverted them into rivalry. The year of
1948 came with ringing the bell on Kashmir and they
started fighting with each other. The threat to sovereignty
and survival altered the state of security for Pakistan’s
decision makers. Pakistan that was not much strong
politically also faced internal threats in terms of
civil-military relations. Weakness in constitutional
arrangements also disturbed the law and order situation.
Lack of political awareness and economic disparity
further diverted the strategic thought1 of Pakistan.........more
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China:
Emerging Partner of SAARC
Columnist
GHULAM ALI looks at the positive regional impact of
China's gaining Observer status in SAARC.
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In 1985,
seven South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka)
gathered at Dhaka and laid the foundation of
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) with an aim at improving the quality
of life of their people. In the subsequent two
decades, however, the organization failed in
achieving any meaningful progress. The inter-state
conflicts between India and Bangladesh, India
and Nepal, Nepal and Bhutan and at the top between
India and Pakistan over Kashmir, dominated SAARC
agendas, thus blocking developments towards
regional integration. Resultantly, the region
remained economically backward. The inter-state
trade of the region could not exceed 4 percent
and the region as a whole contributed only 1
percent in world trade. About 40 percent of
the region’s population lives below the
poverty line. The Organization in its various
sessions approved a number of committees and
agreements ranging from trade promotion under
South Asian Free Trade Association (SAFTA) to
cultural interactions but yet SAARC is among
the most ineffective regional organizations.1
Parallel with SAARC, the European Union (EU)
and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
emerged as powerful organizations which have
been transforming the fate of their peoples.......more
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Musharraf
the Out-smarter
Columnist
Col (Retd) RIAZ JAFRI contends that all who are opposed
to President Musharraf have played into his hands.
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A lot is being
said and written these days for and against Musharraf
who first introduced the concept of ‘Pakistan
First’ (keeping Pakistan before self and all),
in context to his seeking re-election as the President
of Pakistan The general opinion is divided and on
the surface of it, it looks to be more against him
than for – thanks to the media hype, a few very
vocal orators of the opposition and the legal fraternity
all working hand in glove with each other. However,
a deeper look into the murky affairs might present
an altogether different reality.
General Musharraf seems to have played his cards very
well outsmarting all the combined opposition including
the black coats. It was quite amusing the other day
when one of the closest confidantes of BB in sheer
desperation confided to me that the General had been
taking them all on a big ride for the past eight months
or so and that they could not see through his game.
According to him there was never to be a deal of any
kind and in the process the general not only managed
to create an irreparable rift between NS and BB, but
also that BB’s popularity graph had gone down
considerably amongst her followers. The dramatic hush
hush Dubai meeting between the two, which was kept
secret which the media projected as the General going
on his knees, made the haughty BB lose all sight of
prudence. Basking in the false glory of her having
the upper hand she went to the extent of giving 24
and 48 hour ultimatums for the acceptance of her terms.
Terms for which the general and his team had during
the negotiations managed masterly to bring her (corner
her) to a point of no return where she could dictate
them, much to the dismay of party leaders and followers,
turned out to be nothing more than her PERSONAL terms.
(One) “Take off the uniform (so that she could
boast to the world that it was she who made the General
doff the uniform). (Two) Drop all charges of corruption
and court proceedings against her and Zardari. (Three)
Amend the rules for her to become the PM for the third
time also! This exposed her threadbare and it became
known to all that what mattered to BB was her own
personal interest and the country or the party were
all secondary. That was the end of a united opposition,
the Charter of Democracy, the APDM and what not.......more
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The
Perils of Colours
Columnist
Dr SM RAHMAN asserts that Islam is now USA's target
but warns it of a change that is visible.
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There used to be
a time when the USA was grossly allergic to the
yellow peril and consequently China was the most
hated nation. The yellow then became relatively
acceptable for two reasons. First was the book by
a well known journalist, now deceased Felix Greene,
titled: “The wall has two sides.” This
book was written after he made an objective assessment
of the Chinese society by living there for an appreciable
period, so that his observations could be as objective
as subjectivity could be. This book gave a perspective,
which the American society, by and large, due to
ethnocentric ideas – xenophobia – had
completely ignored. This remarkable contribution
brought into salience that while “you,”
meaning Americans hate the Chinese, for not being
free or individualistic, the Chinese were equally
disturbed as to why Americans were so self-oriented,
with least sensitivity and concern for others. Individualism,
which was considered a prime value as derivative
of Protestantism, according to Max Weber, who had
propounded the idea that Capitalism could only flourish
if the individual freedom was its propellant.........more
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Navies
and Oceans—Global Politics and Changing Dynamics
at Sea
Vice
Admiral (Retd) SYED IQTIDAR HUSSAIN says that the
focus of maritime activities has shifted to the east
and holds grave challenges for us.
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Recently (in the
month of September) a major naval exercise involving
the ships of the United States and Indian navies
took place in the Bay of Bengal. Although the US
and India have, in the last six/seven years, been
holding small low-key joint military exercises,
both at land, sea and in the air, this particular
exercise has a special significance in the overall
context of maritime developments in the region.
It was a very large scale peace-time exercise and
the first of its kind between the US and Indian
navies. This warrants an analysis which should take
into account not only the current developments but
also events of the past to provide a backdrop. Further
the maritime scene the world over is also graphically
changing.
Visualize the year 1963, and the geographical area
of the South China Sea. A vast armada of warships,
42 to be precise, consisting of two aircraft carriers
(one American, Midway, the other British ARK Royal),
more than 24 destroyers and frigates, four to six
submarines and a number of Logistics Support Vessels,
replenishment tankers, aircraft and helicopters
are operating together in this area. This is considered
to be the largest assembly of warships since the
end of World War II. This is in fact the sea-phase
of Seato (South East Asia Treaty Organization) maritime
exercise code named “Sea Serpent” which
is in progress. Warships from the United States,
Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Pakistan
are participating. Two ships, the Tipu Sultan and
Jahangir from the 18th Frigate Squadron of Pakistan
Navy, under the command of a commodore, have traversed
nearly five thousand miles across the Arabian Sea,
the Bay of Bengal, the Malacca Straits and up to
the entrance of Manila Bay, close to Corregidor
Island, in the Philippines to participate in this
exercise........more
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The
Battle of ANGORA-1402
Columnist M A GILLANI
recounts another chapter from Muslim history when
the bloodiest one-day battle was fought.
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Introduction
In 1402 the bloodiest one day battle was fought
in the plains of ANGORA (now ANKARA) between two
great Muslim sovereigns - the OTTOMAN Sultan BAYAZED
(BAYAZET) YILDERIM and AMIR TIMUR (TIMOUR LENKTAMER
LANE) of SAMARKAND. At that time had any non-Muslim
sovereign in the world the courage to challenge
Sultan BAYEZED or AMIR TIMUR. According to historians
over 50,000 soldiers were killed in the battle on
20 July 1402.
Before the battle of ANGORA Sultan BAYAZED had conquered
a vast area of Eastern Europe and a great number
of Christians of those areas were embracing Islam.
The echo of AZAN was heard in many nooks and corners
of east European countries. But the defeat of OTTOMAN
Sultan by AMIR TIMUR halted his European conquest
and the subjected states declared their independence
and the European Sovereigns heared a sigh of relief.
If the OTTOMAN Sultan had been victorious he would
have carried his victories up to the western end
of Europe......more
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