The Lucky One day

The first one day match between India and Pakistan turned out to be one of the most interesting ever. Not only was it one of Pakistan’s closest victories but there were several aspects that made the match one for the history books.

Turn of events: Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first. Pakistan began with an astounding bowling getting half of India’s team out before they could reach a hundred. However, things started to change once the Pakistani giant, Muhammad Irfan, took the ball. India started to gain momentum again. It was not long before they managed to earn two hundred and twenty seven runs. If that was not enough, Pakistan’s early batting was not exactly good. This could be seen when the first person to bat, Muhammad Hafeez was struck out on the first ball.

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US-Pak to discuss new CSF deal next year

The flow of US financial aid for the armed forces in the fight against terrorism has officially ended because Pakistan is reportedly not forwarding any pending bill to the US. However, the two sides will discuss a new mode of anti-terror funding next year.

According to sources, the pending bill under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) was to be submitted by the end of the year, but Pakistan is not billing the US for the expenses incurred on the war against terror.

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Pakistan in 2012: A year in review

The year 2012 was no less tumultuous for Pakistan than any other year. Starting from the Supreme Court and former premier Gilani at loggerheads to the return of Tahirul Qadri’s (untimely) arrival on the political scene, Pakistan has seen a healthy share of ups and downs this year. NATO supply routes were resumed, terrorism continued, Metro Bus project was initiated – it is difficult to remember when one event ended and the other began. For the purpose of simplification and to refresh the previous year, Spearhead Research put together a year in review, a compilation of all important news Pakistan saw.

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Immy K revolutionaries and the future of ‘burger’ activism

Before we start some of the core arguments of this piece,I must give a little background of myself. I am,what the general Pakistani public calls,‘a burger’. I don’t want to be,of course. I don’t like the association. I brag of my Baloch descent and try to squash the burger in me as violently as possible. But I am a burger,nonetheless. Reading Urdu is a little hard for me. One of my readers called me a part of the ‘2 percent secular breed that lives abroad and is not aware of the ground realities’. I concede to the entire statement – except I do not live abroad.

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Gordon Brown appoints Yousafzai UN advisor on Global Education

LONDON – Ziauddin Youasfzai, father of teen education activist Malala Yousafzai’s, was on Sunday named the United Nation’s Special Adviser on Global Education.

Former British prime minister and UN Special Envoy Gordon Brown announced the appointment of Ziauddin as an adviser to assist the UN in getting every child to school by the end of 2015.

Gordon Brown said more than 32 million girls were not going to school and Ziauddin, a former teacher and headmaster, would play a critical role in helping remove the discrimination and barriers that prevented girls from attending school.

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Meeting dark clouds

Alternatives to combat change world leaders do not seem to want to look at

Doha talks on climate change finally came to an end after a 2 week deadlock over the extension of the Koyoto protocol. Nearly 200 delegates from various countries came to an agreement to cut greenhouse emissions in the next eight years. At the same time, US refused to ratify the Kyoto protocol, Russia had objections to it, India and China were excluded from it.

They called it a ‘modest but essential’ step forward. Any person with the faintest notion of the gravity of the situation would tell you that this is no step in any direction. President Barack Obama in his re-election speech seemed to have finally taken a stand on the growing fears of climate change. Less than a month later, not only did his administration fail to submit a decisive treaty to curb carbon emissions, but also refused to increase funding to help developing countries reduce theirs. This is not to say that the United States has not played its role in reducing its carbon emissions at all. According to the International Energy Agency, US emissions have dropped 7.7 percent since 2006 - "the largest reduction of all countries or regions." But this was countered with China’s increase in greenhouse emissions by 9.3 percent and India’s 8.7 percent. China is the world’s biggest polluter and India ranks as number four.

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Iran’s indigenous YouTube

Iran has launched its own video-sharing website after the country deemed YouTube’s content inappropriate. The website aims to attract Persian-speaking users and promote Iranian culture, according its ‘About Us’ section.

The website is called ‘Mehr,’ which means ‘affection’ in Farsi. It has its own Facebook page dedicated to providing links to its content, including Iranian-produced music clips.

Tehran has censored YouTube since 2009, in the wake of the controversial elections that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.

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KASHMIR: TIME TO MOVE FORWARD

Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid’s recent wish that: ‘it is high time India and Pakistan move forward together hand-in-hand’, is rather captivating. Recent overtures from both sides clearly indicate that two neighbouring countries want prosperity in the region and for that they agree that resolution of all disputes, including Kashmir, is a priority.

Pakistan has all along been pursuing this objective. It is unfortunate that some of very meaningful peace processes between the two countries went astray on one reason or the other. As Pakistan is likely to be a beneficiary in case of equitable resolution of most of territory related disputes, Pakistan is always keen to see the conclusive phase of the efforts aimed at resolving these issues. Unfortunately, the two countries have not been able to achieve anything worthwhile in territory related disputes.

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Wrestling for Peace Festival appreciated by many

World’s famous Japanese wrestler Mohammad Hussain Inoki and his team entertained spectators with a fine display of free-style wrestling here at Qayyum Sports Complex on Wednesday.

The one-day ‘Inoki’s Wrestling for Peace Festival’ was organised by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department. Provincial Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain, sports minister Syed Aqil Shah and a large number of spectators warmly welcomed the Inoki-led wrestlers.

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Jimmy Carter condemns drone strikes

Former US President Jimmy Carter has slammed American drone strikes in other countries, stating that killing civilians in such attacks would infact nurture terrorism.

“I personally think we do more harm than good by having our drones attack some potential terrorists who have not been tried or proven that they are guilty,” Carter said in an interview with Russia Today.

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Caught in the middle

It has been over two-and-a-half months since Youtube was banned in Pakistan over the anti-Islamic video that Google refused to take down despite repeated requests by the Pakistani authorities. In a world of increasingly free internet and easier information sharing, the question remains what degree of control are we to allow our governments and internet corporations in our internet usage.

It is important to understand how Youtube (and by default, Google) makes its money. As with all internet-based businesses, Youtube sustains itself through ads. Pakistanis would not have experienced this while using it in Pakistan because Youtube does not advertise in the country. But if it did, before the start of a trending video, there would be a strategically placed commercial with duration of around one to two minutes. Irksome for some users, these ads usually have the option of skipping them after 30 seconds. So is the Youtube ban in Pakistan bad business for Google? After all, if Youtube does not make money off ads in Pakistan, why should it matter to the internet giant if the sixth most populous country is not using its services?

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Facts about Pak Army

The army should not indulge in politics. Definitely not. The army should not be buying off politicians. No question about it. Every citizen of Pakistan, whether an army general or a civilian minister, should be punished if found guilty by a court of law. Absolutely no debate about that one either.

Yes, the army would have to learn that a unidimensional national security strategy singularly focused on ‘defence’ cannot guarantee the longevity of the Pakistani nation-state. Yes, our future really depends on three ‘Ds’, not one. And they are: defence, development and diplomacy. Let us now dissect some long-held myths:

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What the vote counts for

29 November 2012: despite aggressive lobbying by the US and Israel, 138 member states voted for uplift of Palestine’s status, 41 (including Australia) abstained while only 9 voted against. France, Spain and Belgium voted in favor, while the US, Israel were only able to convert Canada, Czech Republic, Panama, Palau, Nauru, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands to their cause. Even after the highest world forum has made its decision to acknowledge Palestinians’ right to self determination the United States remains loyal to her ally. The United States has threatened to withhold funds to the Gaza strip; Netanyahu condemned President Abbas for spreading hatred and war crime rumors. He criticized Abbas for blowing the matter out of proportion; for his hypocrisy in preferring the General Assembly over a trip for ‘peace talks’ with the Likud government in Jerusalem. So how successful has dialogue between the two been?

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The solution for Balochistan

The ‘supreme authority’ in Pakistan appears less enthralled to implement the repeated orders of the Supreme Court regarding the atrocious situation in Balochistan. After 71 hearings and countless interim orders by the Court, the situation in ill-fated Balochistan is at a standstill. Human rights violations are at an all-time high, extrajudicial killings by proxy death squads are on the rise, criminal elements are on the go to abduct civilians for ransom and corruption has surpassed all known records.

Since the high profile hearing on September 27, 2012, where Mr Akhtar Mengal presented his six-point roadmap for peace and stability, 109 innocent civilians and political activists have been killed along with four journalists.

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THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To ensure civilian control over its military, the American Constitution specifies that the president, and not a general or an admiral, is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.  As Clausewitz brilliantly observed nearly two centuries ago, war is an admixture of policy with other means. Thus, successful use of military force must be subordinate to the broader political context.  That means to succeed as commander-in-chief, presidential understanding of what objectives strategy can and, perhaps more importantly, cannot achieve is crucial as well as holding subordinates accountable as well as responsible for carrying out that strategy.

That is not always the case. Undue deference to political expediency and political correctness and the temptation of seeking overly simplistic or unrealistic strategic objectives are further guarantees for disaster. And holding generals and admirals responsible for executing a military strategy without making them accountable is also a prescription for failure.

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Indo-Pak nuclear arms race

The possibility of a nuclear war between Pakistan and India grows every day.  If the Pakistanis do not bring under control the terrorist groups in the country and resolve the conflicts with India, it is not a matter of if it will happen, but when.

There have been few achievements to celebrate in the sixty-five year history of Pakistan and that has made the success of the nuclear program central to the national identity.  This is especially true for the military that receives a quarter of the budget and is the only strong national institution.

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Volunteer for Pakistan

A common factor among all socially and politically developed countries is the presence of a strong civil society. A civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a function. This encompasses a wide array of tasks and roles and simply denotes strong people-to-people contact. A common form of civil society organization in Pakistan would be the committee system, where residents in a colony, members of an association, traders, union members, etc form casual groups to start a savings structure for themselves. The committee system is indicative of social trust and faith people have in each other, and a society that is bound by ties of mutual trust and understanding is a strong unified society.

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Israel, Hamas agree to ceasefire in Gaza

A ceasefire has gone into effect in and around the Gaza Strip, after Israel and Hamas agreed to cease hostilities.

Many Palestinians in Gaza City took to the streets to celebrate the truce on Wednesday night, blasting car horns and setting off fireworks from rooftops amid celebratory gunfire.

The Egyptian foreign minister announced the ceasefire agreement hours before it took hold at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday.

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FIXING THE FLAWS IN THE PIVOT TO ASIA

President Barack Obama is underscoring the administration’s “strategic pivot” to Asia with his current trip to the Pacific.  This column has criticized this pivot and the botched public diplomacy campaign that managed to irritate friends, allies and, of course, China.  The Pentagon attempted to minimize the PR damage renaming the pivot “rebalancing.” But so far the obvious and potentially fatal flaws in this pivot with its emphasis on military and not diplomatic, economic and political tools remain uncorrected.

Meanwhile, the most dangerous and visible ticking time bombs lie in North Africa, the Middle East, Iran and the Afghan-Pakistani border where conflict is ongoing and could too easily explode.  Tensions in the South and East China seas over territorial claims involving several states are unlikely to escalate to war.  While China is increasing its defense spending and its military capability, virtually all of its neighbors are not friends or allies and possess (or could possess) counter-balancing forces, including India’s large and nuclear equipped army.

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Tacstrat Analysis: The Invisible War

According to one of the more hard line analysts a fourth generation war—4GW—has been declared on Pakistan. The dots he connects to make the mosaic are—the insurgency in FATA, the lawlessness and violence in Baluchistan and Karachi, the insidious propaganda to defame and defang the military and intelligence institutions, the rapid economic decline and the overall destabilization created by bomb blasts, kidnappings, extortion rackets and high profile robberies. He traces the origin of this situation to the convergence in US, Indian and Afghan interests and those within the country who wittingly or unwittingly have become their collaborators or willing tools. He does not mince his words when he says that the states’ response capacity has been overwhelmed and the only way out is for a national emergency to be declared and the military asked to clean up the mess and restore stability. Failing this, he thinks the military has to step in to save the country. Failing either of these the country will fall apart.

A softer voiced analyst thinks the overall situation is so complex that all the problems have become interconnected and intertwined so the option of tackling each situation separately and sequentially is no longer there. Any operation in North Waziristan would lead to orchestrated violent reprisals in the urban areas possibly with the Baluchistan and Karachi situations spiraling out of control. He traces the origin of this mess to political inaction and, not just mis-governance but a total absence of governance in areas where it is most needed. That others are exploiting our internal vulnerability goes without saying because foreign policy is the first victim of internal divides and weaknesses that shape the image of a failed or failing country.

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Defeating disabilities

A staggered gait. A protruding limb. A twisted gaze. A crooked smile.

Do these features make you uncomfortable? Make you feel the need to look for alternative topics of discussion?  Then you are one of the thousands Pakistanis who treat people with special needs with a discriminatory attitude.

Disabled people are mostly treated with pity or contempt. In the first case, the sympathy, even if well intended, only makes the disabled more conscious of his/her disability. Disabled people have frequently expressed their anger about how their disability is used to define their character and personality. Non-disabled people are likely to believe the disabled to be oppressed, lonely and disadvantaged. In reality there are people like Abia who are great leaders striving for a better world.

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Chinese ‘Thunder Fire’ helicopter to rival US ‘Apache’

China has unveiled a new attack helicopter as it seeks to rival similar aircraft made by the United States and Russia, state media said.

A unit of China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) showed off the WZ-10, or “Thunder Fire”, for the first time in public at the country’s premier airshow in the southern city of Zhuhai, the China Daily newspaper said.

China is displaying a range of military hardware, including a new drone and a model of a next-generation fighter plane at the show, as it builds up its own defence capabilities and seeks customers for its products.

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Taliban soldiers freed by Pakistan

Pakistani officials on Wednesday said they had released some Taliban prisoners to support Afghanistan’s reconciliation efforts.

The “positive gesture” came amid meetings between Kabul’s peace negotiator Salaluddin Rabbani and Pakistani authorities in Islamabad.

“A group of Afghan Taliban has been released and they are accessible to anyone who wants to contact them,” a Foreign Ministry official privy to the talks said.

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Welcome to the nascent world of E-Commerce

From the creation of an online shopping facility in 1979 by Michael Aldrich, to estimated sales worth $226 billion, an increase of 12 percent over 2011, through ecommerce and online retail sales in the US alone, the world of ecommerce and online shopping has changed the concept and experience of shopping for good.

E-tailing or ‘virtual storefronts’ on web sites with online catalogs, sometimes gathered into a ‘virtual mall’, are capable of providing exhaustive variety in consumer goods, apparel, electronic products and just about anything that can be bought and/or sold. By-passing the need for major fixed and overhead costs, online markets cover millions of miles and markets worldwide, to provide consumers with anything they want, anywhere in the world, as long as they are willing to pay for it. From Malossol Caviar from Iran, to cut diamonds from South Africa, online retailing has revolutionized the way the consumer views the marketplace.

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The Army Chief’s Address

‘When a country looks at its fighting forces it is looking in a mirror, if the mirror is a true one, the face it sees will be its own.’

---General Sir John Hackett

The Pakistan Army Chief addressed the officers in General Headquarters on November 5, 2012. The press release giving the highlights of his talk has led to media frenzy with anchors, analysts and commentators falling over each other to give their own understanding of what the Chief said, why he said it and what he actually meant when he said it. If ever there was any doubt as to where the center of gravity lay this reaction has removed it.

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US 2012: It does matter if its Black or White

Waking up to Obama’s projected victory after he had crossed the 270 electoral vote mark was a relief. No. Actually it gave me that adrenaline rush I needed to get my day started. 6 billion dollars have been spent in the past 4 years on both the candidates’ campaigns combined. And we land pretty much where we started. While back home many insist American Presidential election remains irrelevant, I beg to differ.

Both candidates might primarily only disagree on domestic policy issues. Recently, given my obsession with online quizzes and politics, the perfect treat was this interactive on Aljazeera (one of my all time favorite news sources by the way) which had a list of hypothetical situations with ‘agree’ to ‘disagree’ bars for each. The surprising thing was that my level of favorability increased or decreased (to different extents though) for each candidate on the foreign policy concerns. But by the end of it Obama suited my preferences more (sure I did not answer the domestic policy concerns).  Even that however is not the point.

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Being responsible drivers

How many of us can say that they haven’t been involved in a road accident? Hardly anyone. Even worse, how many of us have been involved in multiple road accidents? Surprisingly, many of us.

With a rising population and new credit schemes, road traffic has swollen phenomenally. However it has not been accompanied with a corresponding rise in safety measures. According to latest statistics, 45,000 people are injured and 20,000 people die from road accidents annually in Pakistan. It is common to see underage drivers driving precariously in the plying traffic of the cities’ busiest districts. Of those who do happen to carry a license, most have by-passed the legal method of acquiring one with the help of contacts.

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Drones and America’s third war

Nov. 3 marks the tenth anniversary of America's Third War -- the campaign of targeted killings in non-battlefield settings that has been a defining feature of post-9/11 American military policy as much as the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Unlike other wars, there won't be any ceremonies at the White House or Pentagon, parades down Main Streets, or town square rallies to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the countless civilian and military personnel involved. There won't even be a presidential statement since targeted killings cannot and will not be recognized by the U.S. government. The war is conducted by both the CIA -- covert and totally unacknowledged -- and by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) -- described without any specificity as "direct action" by the White House. Whether the CIA or JSOC is the lead executive agency, the Third War is marked by the limited transparency and accountability of U.S. officials.

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Spearhead Special Report – Balochistan: Oscillating in a Chasm

As the ‘Balochistan conflict’ earns the title of Pakistan’s other war, humanitarian attention flocks in the direction of Pakistan’s biggest and least populated province. Local and international media highlight the injustice taking place at the hands of the centre, the army and the agencies and in return Pakistanis have developed an apologetic attitude towards their Baloch brethren.

While emotion may dictate popular movements, it is crucial to question the validity of the tall claims made by the apologists, and also to be critical of the presence of agencies. Baloch history, economic evolution, the forced accession to Pakistan, and political standing build the right context to address questions that have been avoided for too long.

“Balochistan: Oscillating in a Chasm” is divided in 4 parts:

1. Historical and Geographical context, Ethnic composition.
2. Accession to Pakistan, political party formation.
3. Balochistan today.
4. Questions that need to be addressed.

Download Complete Report: Balochistan: Oscillating in a Chasm

Is it fair to be ungrateful to the Army?

I am Gunner Fazal Mehmood,currently serving in a medium regiment artillery located at a peaceful location. It is 0400 hours,the first day of Eidul Azha and while lying on my charpoy I am thinking about the last night – it is the third consecutive Eid that I will be spending away from my family.

I don’t know why,but I am constantly reminded of a similar chaand raat which I had spent along with my family back in Bahawalpur a few years ago. All the luminosity,crowd and chanting at the Meena bazaar near our house constantly reminded me of my baby girl‘s face which was so cheerful because she was to wear her new cloths on Eid which I had bought her. I also remember going to the bazaar with my family to get my wife’s palms henna-stained and fetch the last minute make-up items.

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AFGHANISTAN: HOPE, FANTASY AND FAILURE!

While the people of Pakistan prayed for early recovery of Malala, they were awe-struck by the frenzy created about the incident. Where people die in dozens each day as a result of terrorist attacks, singling out Malala for over glorification was rather intriguing. Our media, especially its electronic component gave a helping hand to their pay masters; or may be it sleep walked into the trap. Sense of proportion was lost, caution was thrown to wind. It appeared as if a high profile head of state had been critically attacked. The only other example of such hype was Raymond Davis case. National leadership fumbled in case of Raymond Davis and had to face the humiliation of Abbottabad attack.

This time the Malala incident was being exploited for pressuring Pakistan to undertake military operation in North Waziristan. Once again, national leadership was posturing to cede space and fall into the trap of initiating a military operation. Hopefully, the strategic fiasco has been averted, at least for the time being. Our political government which carries an unfortunate stigma of coming into power as an outcome of a deal underwritten by America appeared more than keen to improve its credentials with its mentor before the next elections.

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OUR YOUTH: OUR REAL FACE

Youth festival at National Hockey Stadium Lahore and two T-20 cricket matches at Karachi’s National Stadium were the trend setting events. Both were a resounding success; radiating the real image of Pakistan, the world over. During the youth gala, thousands of cheerful boys and girls fascinated the viewers all over the world by their splendid performance. It demonstrated to the world that sky is the limit when it comes to the potential and capabilities of the Pakistani youth, and as indeed the Pakistani nation. Likewise, in both the T-20 matches ‘Pakistan All Star XI’ outplayed their rivals. More than the results, what mattered was that after a long spell, Pakistan played host to international cricketers. Over 35,000 cheering fans enjoyed the action on two evenings. Above all, there was no untoward incident during these mega sporting events.

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US Presidential Debate on Foreign Policy- candidates for maintaining status quo vis-a-vis Pakistan

While the average American has abysmal knowledge of world affairs, and the Presidential Debate on foreign policy doesn’t really stack the cards for any candidate, it provides us a snap shot of how the next four years might pan out in terms of security problems, economic and military aid and general American interests with reference to Pakistan.

The third and final US Presidential Debate on foreign policy this week saw a surprising departure from the general norm of the challenger trying to goad the incumbent. President Obama spent most of his time discrediting Romney’s statement and trying to prove that Romney did not have ‘clarity of leadership’ or a solid plan with respect to the rest of the world, and Pakistan. Romney on the other hand chose not to criticize Obama on most issues and agreed with many of his foreign policies, except his stance on Iran and Russia. He said that Obama had ignored Israel on his trip to countries in the Middle East, and ‘they had noticed’. He reiterated that Israel was America’s greatest ally in the region and in the event that another country went to war against Israel, American would stand by it diplomatically and militarily. This statement was made especially in the context of Iran’s nuclear program. Romney was of the view that the US must tighten sanctions against the Iran and take a hard line approach towards Iran’s attempts to gain nuclear capability, as it was a direct threat to Israel and United States. The strategy he wanted to use was to impose crippling sanctions and isolate Iran diplomatically.

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America's flawed plan for Pakistan, Afghanistan

President Obama said, referring to Osama bin Laden’s killing, “If we had asked Pakistan permission, we would not have gotten him.” But if Pakistan can’t be trusted, the president owes the American people an explanation of how he’d deal with a nuclear-armed impoverished country over the next four years.

Mr. Romney seems committed to changing Pakistani behavior. And although he claims he wouldn’t “divorce” Pakistan, Mr. Romney’s answer showed that he would downgrade Pakistan’s status as an American ally. Demanding policy changes from Pakistan in return for American support and friendship is a sound idea but neither candidate has spelled out what specific instruments of persuasion or coercion the United States might successfully deploy to that end.

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American Drones Killing a Generation in Pakistan

Drones.

They are expensive, lethal, and precise in their killing; at least they are designed to be. A creation of the nation’s intelligence apparatus, they act as the new soldiers abroad, innately non-emotive machines asked to perform the previous duties of an army combatant more efficiently and free of the inhibitive emotional affects on human cognizance. They kill their enemies but also can miss their targets and a study released last month shows that they miss a lot.

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Remembering Pak Army on UN Day

Today, 24 October will be celebrated as United Nations (UN) Day. Let’s not forget the role and sacrifices of Pakistan Army’s in Peacekeeping United Nations Missions all over the world.

According to ISPR – Pakistan’s commitment with UN for promoting international peace and prosperity stems from the vision of its Founding Father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan’s journey with UN Peacekeeping operations began in 1960 when it deployed its first ever contingent in United Nations Operations in Congo (ONUC).  Over the past 50 years, Pakistan has been the most significant and consistent contributor to the UN Peacekeeping around the World.  Pakistani peacekeepers have left no stone unturned in the noble cause of helping humanity, building peace and bringing stability across the regions, under the banner of United Nations.

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Angelina Jolie declares Malala a ‘Woman of Impact’

I told my kids—and you should too: Girls’ education is under threat in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and around the world. It’s time we all took a stand. By Angelina Jolie. Plus: Here’s how you can help, and sign a petition for Malala.

On Wednesday morning, as we readied the kids for school amidst a few of the usual complaints about not wanting to go, I saw a headline on the cover of The New York Times: Taliban Gun Down a Girl Who Spoke Up for Rights. The Taliban claimed that 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai “ignored their warnings, and she left them no choice.” They approached her school bus, asking for her by name, and shot her in the head for promoting girls’ education.

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Beware of ATM fraud

Though a large number of accountholders have been deprived of their money by fraudsters through the automated teller machines (ATMs), it was perhaps for the first time that a citizen in the federal capital found a skimmer attached to an ATM.

A skimmer can be fixed in the ATM slot for copying data from the card to make its duplicate and then steal money.

Tauqeeruddin, an electrical engineer and computer software manufacturer by profession, told Dawn that he went to an ATM at a commercial centre of the capital city to withdraw money at about 7:15pm on October 13 (Saturday).

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Photo camp for young journalists

The USAID is sponsoring a six-day ‘photo camp’ for 15 young photo journalists from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), which opened here on Thursday.

Rodger Garner, USAID acting Mission Director, formally inaugurated the photo camp, which also showcases photos by the participants of the training.

The photo camp was conducted in partnership with Washington based National Geographic Society, whose magazine is internationally renowned for its extraordinary photography.

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Malala and Beyond

The striking photograph of a single man facing a tank with upraised arms in Beijing’s Tian An Men Square galvanized China and the world to the reality of oppression and resistance to state power. Another memorable photograph that stunned the world showed a naked terror struck screaming girl running from a fireball behind her — more than anything else this one picture summed up the sordid horror of the VietNam war — the massacres, the use of Agent Orange, napalm and indiscriminate bombings. More recently the visuals of the prisoner abuse in Abu Gharib prison, the images of US Marines urinating on Afghan corpses, the killing of a US diplomat in Libya — and closer to home- beheaded bodies, bomb blasts, kidnappings and random killings — all make up the mosaic that is the war on terror. The teenage Malala gunned down by Taliban in the name of what they call Islam is a horror that drives home the image of intolerance, ignorance, brutality and extremism. Those who carried out this atrocity and those who ordered it stand exposed for what they are and what they stand for.

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In search for a national terrorism policy

A country can never be fully prepared to meet the challenges that terrorism, be it of any kind or in any shape, brings. In the Information Age, methods and techniques of terrorism are continuously evolving and the danger keeps escalating. Pakistan faces a unique challenge, for it is the battlefield for fighting terrorists which have caused great human losses across the globe.  Since 9/11 it has had to deal great pressure from western powers to curb militants who have targeted foreign nationalities and even Pakistanis.  With an economy in distress and meager welfare facilities, all of which are plagued with corruption, insecurity and cases of terrorism have stretched thin the allocation of resources. However, policy makers and analysts feel some of this stress can be relieved if Pakistan deals with security crisis in a systemic and organized manner. Twelve years into the War on Terror and Pakistan still lacks a universal narrative on terrorism. The attack on 14 year old Malala Yousafzai on October 9th uncovered the political rifts in the Pakistani government over counter terrorism.

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Picking the scab of militancy

Amidst intermittent gaffes issued by the Interior Ministry and thinly veiled attempts to distort public discourse on the operation, lies the school girl from Swat, caught in a cross fire between ideologically opposed elements, who would go as far as to justify the attack on her. 

As condemnation against the attackers of Malala Yousafzai and her friends Kainat and Shazia, poured in from all quarters of the world, political and right wing leaders in Pakistan rushed to slam the attack immediately and a national consensus vis-à-vis Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) was seen to emerge.  The attack had been ordered from across the border by Maulana Fazulallah and as people took to the streets to demand swift action against the miscreants, a counter narrative to the general reaction was seen to emerge and infiltrate popular sentiment.

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Nights of Worship in the Hindu community

Starting from the first day of the Navratri festival in India feasting and fasting takes over normal life for millions of Hindus. The festival started on October 16,2012.

Navratri,the nine-day festival,is held twice a year during the spring and autumn seasons and symbolises the triumph of good over evil being celebrated with worship and dance. Devotees worship various forms of Hindu goddesses during the festival,whose name literally means nine nights.

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India not so keen on Stealth Fighters anymore

India is cutting its order for a fifth-generation stealth fighter being developed jointly with Russia by a third, India’s Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told India Strategic.

India’s Hindustan Aeronatics Limited (HAL) is to build the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), a derivative of the Sukhoi T-50, in India. The two nations signed a 50/50 joint venture to build the aircraft in December 2011.

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Taliban threatens to attack journalists who oppose them

Enraged by widespread media coverage of Malala Yousafzai,who was shot and critically injured by the militants in Swat,the Pakistani Taliban led by Hakimullah Mehsud reportedly planned to target media organisations,particularly television channels and some journalists in the country,well-placed sources told this correspondent on Sunday.

According to sources,the Taliban felt that the media has become biased against them and was giving ‘undue’ coverage to the attack on Malala and portraying them as the ‘worst people on earth’.

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TTP’s justification for attacking Malala and the ensuing backlash

TTP explains and elaborates reasons that motivated them to attempt target-killing of Malala Yousafzai:

TTP successfully targeted Malala Yousafzai in Mingora,although she was young and a girl and TTP does not believe in attacking women,but whom so ever leads campaigns against Islam &Shariah is ordered to be killed by Shariah.

When it’s a matter of Shariah,and someone tries to bring fitnah with his/her activities,and it involves leading a campaign against shariah and tries to involve the whole community in such campaign,and that personality becomes a symbol of anti shariah campaign,not only is it allowed to kill such a person but it is obligatory do to so in Islam.

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Why can’t Pakistanis unite against the drone?

When was the last time a Pakistani political party helped set the world news agenda for a day? Pakistani politics seldom draws any outside attention barring occasional jokes. So this is a real change. Welcome to constructive, positive politics in a country dominated by failed, violent parties.

The PTI’s anti-drone campaign has propelled the CIA’s illegal drone attacks in Pakistan to the top of world agenda. And it certainly makes the job of the CIA and other pro-drone lobbies in the United States much more difficult as more Americans realise the blunders their military is committing in their name abroad. The expansion of global opposition to the use of drones in Pakistan is a challenge to the Pentagon and increases the chances of future legal accountability for innocent deaths.

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UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld coined the phrase “unknown unknowns,” a snappier way to describe “unintended consequences.” Both refer to events that are unanticipated, unexpected and unpredictable.  Beyond the arming of the Mujahidin with Stinger missiles in Afghanistan that ultimately drove out the Russians and led to a Taliban takeover, a more telling example of unintended consequences was the implosion of the Soviet Union.

Although some wrongly attribute the end of the Soviet Union to President Ronald Reagan’s attempt to spend the “evil empire” into oblivion by forcing an arms race capped by the Strategic Defense Initiative, derisively called “star wars,” the truth lies elsewhere.  After a series of geriatric Soviet leaders finally expired, the youthful Mikhail Gorbachev won the top post realizing that the rot and decay of a (fatally) flawed political system demanded reform if the USSR were to survive as a superpower.  Gorbachev, a dedicated communist, created “glasnost (openness)” and “perestroika (restructuring)” as cures for reducing the political sclerosis and cholesterol that threatened the health of Soviet Russia.

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Colin Monteath – Showcasing the Karakoram

A passionate photographer and experienced mountaineer, Colin is widely travelled in the polar and mountain regions of the world. Colin has a reputation for quality images and an ability to write evocatively about his experiences. Colin has collaborated on many photography and editorial projects as well as publishing his own books.

Cathedral peaks above Baltoro glacier, Karakoram, Pakistan

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Think tanks fear Afghan implosion after 2014

The Afghan government could implode after NATO troops pull out in 2014, particularly if presidential elections are fraudulent, according to a report by the International Crisis Group (ICG).

A repeat could undermine what little hope remains for stability after the Afghan government takes full responsibility for security from US-led NATO forces, the analysis by the respected Brussels-based group says.

The report, Afghanistan: The Long, Hard Road to the 2014 Transition, says the country is on course in 2014 for another set of fraudulent elections after the chaotic presidential and parliamentary polls in 2009 and 2010.

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