The
Policy Role of
the United States
in South Asia:
Constraints
& Opportunities for Pakistan
Columnist
TAUQEER H. TAKI SIRGANA analyzes the foreign
policy objectives
of the US in South Asia and its impact
on Pakistan.
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Introduction
The ongoing strategic review in U.S. foreign
policy objectives has recently unveiled
a new US policy for Pakistan, and Afghanistan
to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat the
Al-Qaeda. This confused and ambiguous
strategic thought based on usually failed
intelligence further states that the Al-Qaeda
is actively planning attacks on US from
safe havens in Pakistan. Unfolding a new
US strategy to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda,
US President Obama said that Pakistan
must be ‘stronger partner’
in destroying Al-Qaeda safe havens. In
this connection, he said Pakistan would
be provided financial assistance of 1.5
billion dollars each year for the next
five years. Will it work or not? Is Obama
trying to meet with increasing challenges
of terrorism or is he promoting the very
best interests of U.S. in the region?
Both questions are not time-tested as
today political means have nothing to
do with statements or actions. What is
important to understand about the U.S.
interests in the region is their history.
.......more
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A New Dawn
Columnist
Gp Capt SM HALI (Retd) reviews the new
book of pictorial
history on the PAF.
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Introduction
The title of the article would imply that
I was alluding to the emancipation of
Pakistan’s judiciary and the restoration
of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and other
deposed judges; however, the reference
is to PAF’s new book with the same
title. ‘The Pakistan Air Force 1998-2008:
A New Dawn’ was launched by the
outgoing Air Chief, Air Chief Marshal
(ACM) Tanvir Mahmood Ahmad a day before
the handed the mantle of PAF’s command
to his successor Air Chief Marshal Rao
Qamar Suleman. ‘A new dawn’
is the fifth in the series of books on
PAF history, the first being ‘History
of the Pakistan Air Force 1947-1982’
by Syed Shabbir Husain and Squadron Leader
M. Tariq Qureshi. It was followed by ‘Battle
for Pakistan’ by John Fricker, essentially
an account of the 1965 Pak-India War.
Not satisfied with the 1947-1982 history,
which was compiled in the era of ACM Anwar
Shamim, a new account was commissioned
by ACM Jamal A Khan. Thus ‘The Story
of the Pakistan Air Force’ was compiled
by Air Commodore M Zafar Masood, euphemistically
known as “Mitty Masood”, covering
the era 1947-1988. ACM PQ Mehdi asked
Air Marshal Rashid Sheikh to compile ‘The
Story of The Pakistan Air Force 1988-1998’,
which was launched in 2000..........more
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ECO:
Prospects andConstraints
Columnist
MEHMOOD-UL-HASSAN KHAN reviews the recently
concluded
ECO Summit in Tehran.
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We
The 10th summit meeting of the Economic
Cooperation Organisation (ECO) was held
in Tehran on March 11 wherein the need
to establish a free trade area in ECO
region by 2015 was stressed upon. According
to the ECO’s trade agreement all
the member countries should lower trade
duties to 15% on 80% of goods traded
within eight years. ECO is an international
organization composed of 10 countries
namely, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan................more
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