Playing both sides
THERE are, really, only two possibilities: either there is a cabal or there isn’t; either factionalism exists or it doesn’t; either Raheel is in charge or he isn’t. “Those understanding…
Alitalia-Etihad airline tie-up hangs in the air
The fate of stricken Italian airline Alitalia is set to be decided this week by the outcome of talks for UAE carrier Etihad to buy up to 49 percent of…
Reconnecting Afghanistan
The exercise of universal franchise in the war conditions prevailing in Afghanistan has been a tremendous landmark not only for the Afghans themselves but for countries like Pakistan on the…
Huge housing deal may signal Gulf investment push into Egypt
A $40 billion deal for Dubai firm Arabtec to build one million homes in Egypt may mark the start of politically-inspired Gulf investment in the country's creaking infrastructure, from housing…
Assessing global risks
Three days of intense discussion at last week’s meeting of the World Economic Forum provided diverse perspectives on global trends and ended in a call for coordinated solutions to the…
Smaller dams
Another year has passed without having achieved any significant progress on the construction of a number of small and medium-sized dams planned across the country. Twelve small multi-purpose dams were…
Tapping energy resources
According to the ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report, South Asian regional growth declined from 7.4 percent in 2011 to an estimated 5.4 percent in 2012, mainly due to a sharp slowdown…
A lifelong affair with Arabia
The study of Islamic history and the rise and fall of Muslims had been a lifelong passion of Iqbal. The poet philosopher fervently believed in the Islamic renaissance and argued…
Shared waters & glacial melt
This month’s prospective meeting of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue Group comprising seven states sharing the rivers rising in the Greater Himalayas would be a watershed event as the group is…
Xmas and the city
Only a Russian deputy foreign minister could insult with such diplomatic finesse, and leave no bruises. `You send delegations from Pakistan every few months to us. From your National Defence…
