Harsh realities
Until October 16, the whole world (especially China and Japan - America's biggest creditors) feared a likely default by the US on its debt repayment commitments. The last-minute deal between…
Moving out of Af-Pak
Tomorrow Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, will meet President Barack Obama in Washington, to signal Islamabad’s renewed interest in a broad-based relationship with the US. This will be the first…
Heartless stabilisation
The design of the newly-approved IMF programme for Pakistan is under scrutiny. Many, including myself, believe that this is a 1980s vintage of the ‘stabilisation first’ programme which has already…
2014: transition to what?
Committee room 10 in the House of Commons was packed to capacity. The audience was as international as it could get, with representatives from many embassies in London. MPs, diplomats,…
The message of Malala
Malala is barely 16 years old but she has experienced more physical and mental stress than most people several times her age. At 11 years, she had to leave home…
Will negotiations deliver?
Soon after Pakistan's political parties agreed at an All-Party Conference to negotiate peace with militants, a spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had welcomed the move. But immediately thereafter, a…
Deweaponisation tactics
The nation has earlier gone through the deweaponisation exercise three times in the past two decades. Each time it proved to be merely eyewash, to fool the masses into thinking…
Indian general plays with fire
Indians justifiably take pride in the robust durability of their country’s democracy, barring the Emergency (1975-77), and the relatively apolitical nature of its armed forces. Unlike in many third world…
Luck running out
On September 4, 2013, the Government of Pakistan signed its 19th Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In 2011, it appeared that Pakistan had bid adieu to the IMF…
Broken back
The World Bank and IMF lureThird World countries into debt traps - extending loans for projects they don't need. Since these countries lack capacity to pay back, lenders demand sale…
