‘No innocent civilians’
“We don’t do body counts,” Gen Tommy Franks, commander of the US Central Command, told reporters at Bagram Airbase near Kabul in 2002. He led the invasions of both Afghanistan…
Civilian deaths
While campaigning for president in late 2015, Donald Trump promised a bloody escalation of the US-led war against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, vowing to “bomb the shit out…
OK to bash civilians for now
Attired in a necktie and suit, to many the first such public image of the interior minister, it took a dapper Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to reach Washington D.C. to…
An innocent in Washington
For decades, Pakistan has had a single-item foreign policy: Kashmir. Of late, drones have been added to this short list. Long gone are the days when Pakistan commanded respect on…
Spotlight: Tackling terrorism? The civilian side hibernated throughout its 5-year rule! Elections: many a slip…!
It is not the intention to paint a pessimistic picture of the prospects of fair and free elections taking place in relative peace but only to make the point that…
Countering terror — beyond labels
During the past few weeks, terrorists affiliated with the TTP), Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) have been referred to by Pakistani authorities as Khawarij. This term,…
No quick fixes in Balochistan
THE deadly terrorist attack in Quetta has reignited debates surrounding the security situation in Balochistan. Predictably, hawkish voices have sought to discredit advocates for political reconciliation. This knee-jerk reaction merits…
State vs. citizens
The twists and turns preceding and accompanying the holding of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement’s (PTM’s) Jirga in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) could not be described as anything but mind boggling. Initially,…
Much-needed reforms in UN
Every year, during September, world leaders from the 197 UN member countries gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session to deliver finely crafted speeches, meticulously…
Much-needed reforms in UN
Every year, during September, world leaders from the 197 UN member countries gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session to deliver finely crafted speeches, meticulously…
