Once upon a time in the valley of death
At 0930 hours last August 6, the Directorate of Military Operations of the Pakistan Army and its counterpart in India conducted a scheduled hotline call. The conversation between the two…
MPS: introspection, at last
The period beginning September 5 has been significant because, first, the World Economic Forum released its Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) 2013-14 showing Pakistan's slide from 124th place in global ranking…
Moment of opportunity
In setting his priorities at the outset of his tenure Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif emphasized that the economy and energy crisis would receive his urgent attention, as would the removal…
The IMF programme
The Executive Board of the IMF has approved a 36-month programme under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for US$ 6.68 billion on September 4, 2013. After the board approval, the…
The real enemy
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained…
Who are the Russians?
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian federation found itself facing the question of whether it was the successor and legitimate heir to the Soviet Union or to…
Sell-off of PSM
Pakistan Steel Mills, known to be the country's largest industrial unit incorporated in 1968 at a total cost of Rs 24.7 billion, with an annual designed production capacity of 1.1…
German business confident as China shifts gears
Confident or complacent, German business executives are bullish about their chances of profiting from China's transition to an economy fired by consumption rather than investment. As China deliberately dampens its…
9/11: War of what?
On September 9, 2001, twelve years ago, a gruesome and heinous crime against humanity was committed in New York - wanton attack on twin towers of World Trade Center symbolising…
Indonesia faces pilot shortage amid air travel boom
At a flying school in the Indonesian city of Bandung, cadets chatted on the tarmac under the scorching sun as they took a break between lessons. "I want to work…
