[Backlog post — Article received on 6 November 2013] Nadeem M Qureshi Whenever there are elections the people who get elected and sit in Pakistan’s assemblies do not deserve to be there. They tend to be, in the rural areas, feudal landlords or the descendants of long deceased holy men called ‘peers’. And in the […]
John Kerry – The Game Changer!!
[Backlog post] General Mirza Aslam Beg For the last several years the United States had been seeking a respectable exit from Afghanistan, as the end game was nearing in 2013-14. Various options were exercised to determine a suitable course of action, but failed. It was John Kerry, a war veteran and an astute diplomat, who […]
Политизация проекта ТАПИ
Тарик Саиди Ашхабад, 31 октября 2013 (nCa) — Заимствовав устаревшее сравнение, можно сказать, что проект трубопровода ТАПИ по отношению к ослабшим и удрученным Штатам, является некой спасательной шлюпкой для пассажиров тонущего корабля. Отступление под храбрым эвфемизмом вывода войск выглядит серьезным и важным. Старые добрые США, не желая отказаться от своей опоры в Центральной Азии, вероятно, […]
Politicization of TAPI
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat, 31 October 2013 (nCa) — Borrowing a tired simile, TAPI is to a drained and dispirited USA what a lifeboat is to the passengers of a sinking ship. The retreat under the brave euphemism of withdrawal is looming large. The good old US of A, loath to give up its toehold in […]
Peace with Taliban – “What has to be, has to be”
General Mirza Aslam Beg There has been a spate of criticism, by a particular lobby in Pakistan, of PAC decision for dialogue with the Taliban for peace. In the same context, I would particularly refer to the comments made by Najam Sethi, in his article titled, بقا کی جنگ یا تباہ کن امن (Fight for […]
Poor paying with their lives for fizzy drinks
Nadeem M Qureshi Travel through rural Pakistan and two things will strike you. One is heart rending poverty. And the other is hospitality. Visitors are greeted with warmth and selfless generosity. The poorest of the poor will immediately call for ‘paani’ for their visitors. Paani means water in Urdu. But in the local lexicon it […]
Billions of Rupees needed to rebuild Dera Bugti
Kiyya Qadir Baloch Islamabad- Though the previous Balochistan government received a lion’s share of funds under the NFC Award, the fate of Dera Bugti people remained unchanged and the insurgency-hit district is giving a deserted look. No new schools, colleges, learning centres, roads or health centres were established after Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti’s assassination and […]
A new system for Pakistan
Nadeem M Qureshi That the political system in Pakistan needs changing is indisputable. The ‘Whitehall’ model has failed to deliver. Elections routinely bring into parliament the incompetent, insincere and corrupt. They come for the spoils. As ministers, they loot from the exchequer in the form of kickbacks and bribes. As members of parliament, they loot […]
Fighting terror: Why leadership matters
Nadeem M Qureshi In the post September 11 world much has been said and written about terrorism. The 2001 events in New York had nothing to do with Pakistan. But since that time, a series of poor decisions at multiple levels, in and outside Pakistan, have put the country squarely in the eye of an […]
Conspiracy Behind Coup in Egypt
General Mirza Aslam Beg The “Evil Nexus of three As and O” struck Egypt and overthrew the elected government of President Morsi. We in Pakistan have had suffered such afflictions in the past and therefore our sense of loss for democracy in Egypt, is greater. The “Evil Nexus of three As and O” stand for […]
Privatization a panacea?
Nadeem M. Qureshi Privatization was made fashionable by Britain’s Margaret Thatcher in the 1980’s. The sale, during her reign as Prime Minister, of poorly performing state enterprises to the private sector was widely lauded. Acolytes included global financial institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF as well as then US President Ronald Reagan. […]
PIA: On a wing and a prayer
Nadeem M Qureshi Pakistan International Airlines, the national flag carrier of Pakistan, once a source of pride for the whole nation, is in trouble. Over the last five years it has reported cumulative losses of Rs. 160 billion – this is three times the amount Pakistan spends every year on education. Financial woes aside, service […]
Babar Awan visits Bugti refugees camp, demanded safe restoration of IDPs
Kiyya Qadir Baloch Islamabad- Pakistan People’s Party law maker Babar Awan visited Bugti refugees camp in Islamabad here on Sunday and extended support to the refugees and also demanded chief justice of Pakistan to play his role for restoring Bugti refugees in their areas. Babar Awan on this occasion said country’s survival was impossible without […]
IDP protest after hospital administration refrain to handover dead body to deceased family
Kiyya Qadir Baloch Islamabad: Hunger strike of Dera Bugti affectees is continuing for the last four days outside Al-Shifa international hospital for getting the dead body of their one fellow, who died on July 3 in the same hospital but the administration refused to hand over the dead body to Dera Bugti affectees which may […]
Balochistan government to face enormous challenges
Kiyya Qadir Baloch Islamabad- As Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, A medical doctor by profession, belonging to a middle-class and educated family of Kech completed seven days of his government has to face enormous challenges from militants and power holder from Rawalpindi. People viewed the recent Quetta bombing and attack on Quaid-I-Azam residency in Ziarat as […]
International Arms Trade Treaty and the West
Jameel-ur-Rehman Baloch The West celebrates the milestone signing of the International Arms Trade Treaty, the one which keeps the major powers baffled, US is restrained from singing in order to wait and vigilantly watch the developments that how the world reacts to the treaty whilst China and Russia seem to stay in a denial mode […]
TAT Rail – A Photo Essay
Ashgabat, 7 June 2013 (nCa) — Just some photos of the launching ceremony of TAT Rail at Atamurat on 5 June 2013:
Urdu article by General Aslam Beg
PML N mulls over option for nominating Balochistan’s CM
Kiyya Qadir Baloch Islamabad — Having been completely victorious party in center, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML N) has emerged as the majority party in the war torn province of Balochistan too where according to official results it had got 9 seats out of 51 whereas the party has ballooned to 15 MPAs after […]
Time for a diplomatic fight back
Jameel-ur-Rehman Baloch Nawaz Sharif’s exchange of dialogue with his Chinese counterpart who is on his latest visit to Pakistan over extending a helping hand in proliferating Civil Nuclear Technology is a judicious move in the right direction; something which if executed will rehabilitate the persisting energy crunch of Pakistan. Yes, an unqualified Chinese assistance is […]
Journalists’ tragedy in Pakistani Balochistan
Kiyya Qadir Baloch Balochistan, territorially the largest province of Pakistan, has become a hotbed of insurgency, sectarian linked killings, acts of kidnapping for ransom, tribal feuds and numerous other issues, which require vigilant reporting and communication to the world. The journalists in Balochistan have been performing their duties with utmost honesty and sometimes at the […]
The Landmark Elections 2013
General Mirza Aslam Beg The verdict of 11th May 2013, by the Pakistani voters, has demolished several myths, establishing new realities which promise a brighter future for Pakistan, emerging from the depths of sorrow and sacrifices of decades and the sufferings at the hands of a corrupt and incompetent government, which almost shook the very […]
Musharraff was sent to Pakistan under a plan – Urdu article by General Aslam Beg
General Aslam Beg is one of the most authoritative analysts in Pakistan. He can be reached at friendsfoundation@live.co.uk
Obama’s Global Zero Campaign
“Now is the time for a strong international response, and North Korea must know that the path to security and respect will never come through threats and illegal weapons.” — Barack Obama, current US president Jameel-ur-Rehman Baloch I wonder if Obama holds the legitimate authority to issue certificates of legality over keeping nukes. Patronizing the […]
Branding Musharraf’s Submission To Drones As A Misunderstanding, Instead of A Double-Cross
Peter Chamberlin With a welcome return of their last military dictator, the politicians of Pakistan are playing the roles assigned them, helping the CIA reform its corrupt image and the Pakistani people to forget all of their own Establishment’s previous lies. The “Islamist” politicians, along with all of the co-opted religious and secular wannabes, are […]
Collective political will of participants bolsters TAPI
This report was recently published in our paid-subscription publication. It is now being made available for the wider audience. Ed. Collective political will of participants bolsters TAPI Ashgabat, 22 March 2013 (nCa) — The presidents of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, in separate statements on 20 March, expressed strong support for TAPI, the pipeline project that […]
Коллективная политическая воля участников ТАПИ укрепляет проект
This report was recently published in our paid-subscription publication. It is now being made available for the wider audience. Ed. Коллективная политическая воля участников ТАПИ укрепляет проект Ашгабат, 22 марта 2013 года (nCa) — Президенты Туркменистана, Афганистана и Пакистана, в отдельных заявлениях 20 марта выразили решительную поддержку проекту газопровода ТАПИ, который предполагает транспортировку туркменского природного […]
The Name of the Game!!
General Mirza Aslam Beg, Former Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan Dr. Tahirul Qadri’s Long March started from Lahore on 13th January 2013, challenging the “most corrupt government and the equally corrupt opposition” but ultimately it fell into the lap of those very people, he had been calling ‘Yazidis’, after signing the peace accord on 17th […]
From FMCT to FMRT
Jameel-ur-Rehman Baloch The post world war II scenario has envisaged collective security and regionalism, both demonstrate the complete fallacy of the cliché that the world could possibly be free of all kinds of weapons in general, nuclear weapons in particular. Debates within the country and abroad have resumed concerning that will Pakistan succumb to the […]
“Devising A Robust Defence Policy” – SSCD
General Mirza Aslam Beg, Former Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan The Senate Standing Committee on Defence (SSCD) is presently engaged in “devising a robust defense policy, aimed at making policy guidelines for the parliamentarians”, with three objectives in mind. One, to review current issues pertaining to defense; Two, to determine mandatory changes to the defense […]
Time to Correct our Political Aberrations
General Mirza Aslam Beg, Former Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan March 1979, General Ziaul Haque directed his Corps Commanders to ascertain the likely reaction of the officers and the troops, if Bhutto was hanged, as per Supreme Court’s verdict. I was commanding 14 Division at Okara and was called for the meeting at Multan. Giving […]
Candid conversation with Pakistani minister of state for foreign affairs
Tariq Saeedi Ashgabat 13 May 2012 (nCa) — His embossed visiting card says Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan but when we sat down for a conversation Saturday in Ashgabat, it was only Amad who spoke – candid, warm and very well informed. Amad, as minister of state for foreign affairs, is one of the youngest ministers […]
Pakistan fully committed to both Turkmenistan and Iran gas pipelines
Ashgabat, 13 May 2012 (nCa) — Pakistan is fully committed to both Turkmenistan and Iran gas pipeline projects, said Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, the minister of state for foreign affairs of Pakistan in an exclusive conversation Saturday with nCa in Ashgabat. This dispels the impression that Pakistan could be pursuing an either-or approach on its […]
Truth shall Prevail
Dr. S.M. Rahman It was interesting to read General Aslam Beg’s article titled “Say No To It”. In very simple words he has described the conduct of the Army Generals, who imposed military rule; those who directly intervened, but did not take-over, and those, who resisted the temptation to intervene and allowed democracy to follow […]
Say ‘No’ to It
General Mirza Aslam Beg, Former Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan It is indeed very difficult to say ‘No’ to temptation, because the truth is what the famous American Comedian, Bob Hope addressing a young lady, admitted: “I can stand anything but temptation.” This is the kind of phenomenon we have experienced and suffered, during the […]
Mustaqbil Pakistan: Detoxifying politics, promoting micro patriotism, rewriting social contract
[Editor’s note: Mustaqbil Pakistan (MP) is a new political party with fast expanding grassroots presence in the country. The party, composed mostly of successful professionals in a broad array of disciplines, aims to detoxify the political scene of Pakistan by inducing transition from personalities to issues. It is also following a relatively fresh approach by […]
Pakistan absolutely crucial regional player: Afghanistan
Ashgabat, 20 April 2012 (nCa) — “Pakistan is absolutely crucial player at the regional level,” said Jawed Ludin, the deputy foreign minister of Afghanistan. In a conversation Wednesday with nCa, Ludin spoke optimistically about the bilateral and multilateral interaction between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He expressed hope that ‘challenges of confidence’ would be a thing of […]
Challenges and Response
General Mirza Aslam Beg, Former Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan It is a day of reckoning for us, to recollect the failings of the past, and to carve-out a new destiny for the nation. No doubt Pakistan has faced serious challenges to its security, mainly due to foreign aggression in the region and our collusion […]
Indian Supreme Court Orders Establishing Indian Water Hegemony
General Mirza Aslam Beg, Former Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan India’s Supreme Court on 27 February 2012, ordered the government to implement the2002 project to link major rivers in India ‘in a time-bound manner’. The over $100 billion project will link around 30 rivers, to ensure flood control and equitable distribution of water by efficient […]
OMV successfully closes acquisition of Petronas Carigali (Pakistan) Ltd
► Purchase of the entire share capital of Petronas Carigali (Pakistan) Ltd, which is Petronas’ Exploration and Production (E&P) operating entity in Pakistan: The transaction was successfully completed as of July 11, 2011 ► Strong growth potential of the acquired portfolio will contribute towards the anticipated production increase in Pakistan to about 25,000 boe/d by […]
Estimated cost of post-9/11 wars: 225,000 lives, up to $4 trillion
The cost of wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan are estimated at 225,000 lives and up to $4 trillion in U.S. spending, in a new report by scholars with the Eisenhower Research Project at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies. The group’s “Costs of War” project has released new figures for a range of […]
Murder Most Foul
Tariq Saeedi It was a bloody Sunday in May 2007. I was sitting in a second floor apartment balcony, overlooking the Sharea Faisal where it meets the Karachi airport road. The night had been full of activity, armed gangs snatching buses and trucks to use as roadblock. The government, through its organized and armed thugs, […]
“Pak-US Relations at a Critical Point” – Hillary Clinton
General Mirza Aslam Beg, Former Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan Threat to our national security increased with the occupation of Afghanistan in 2001, and has reached dangerous proportions now, as the defeated forces are seeking the support of “a compliant regime and a military dictator in Pakistan, to provide the fall back position in Pakistan […]