Ishtiaq Ahmad (RSS FEED)

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Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:12:15 +0500

Pakistan and the Fight against Terrorism

Fri, 9 Sep 2011 09:11:32 +0500

This article attempts to critically review Pakistan’s role as a frontline state in the US-led War on Terror in Afghanistan and the region since 9/11, including its domestic implications, regional manifestations and international underpinnings. In the last ten years, Pakistan has made enormous contributions to this war and suffered irreparable losses in the process. However, since the Musharraf regime, its priorities in combating terrorism have been different from those of the United States and its allies in Afghanistan—a lingering issue that has eventually brought US-Pakistan relations to the brink of a conflict.

Rescuing Pakistani-American Relations

Fri, 2 Sep 2011 09:10:35 +0500

US-Pakistan relations since the start of this year have seen a familiar pattern: the emergence of a major issue of conflict, followed by deepening row manifested in hostile public posturing by top officials of the two countries, and then the resumption of diplomatic attempts through enhanced official interaction to rescue their strained relationship. The arrest in Pakistan of US security operative Raymond Davis, who had shot two civilians in Lahore, in February and the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad unilaterally by US Special Forces in May were two instances that led to a major conflict in relationship and subsequent bids by the two sides to resume their partnership against terrorism.

Time for Closure on 9/11 and Its Deadly Legacy

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:09:45 +0500

September 11, 2011 has been commemorated as a sombre day of rememberance and prayer for some 2,800 Americans who died on the fateful day ten years ago in terrorist attacks against the United States. The consequences of these attacks for the rest of the world have been horrendous--with tens of thousands of additional lives being lost especially in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in terrorism and war.

In Libya, the End of an Era

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:08:53 +0500

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year rule in Libya has finally come to an end, and the Libyan people can now hope to reshape their destiny along democratic lines. This, indeed, will be an arduous task, since prolonged dictatorships—and Gaddafi’s was the longest ever in modern Arab history—often leave behind scores of scars and frictions that cannot be expected to overnight heal and bridge. Given that, the foremost challenge before the National Transitional Council (NTC) in post-Gaddafi Libya will be how to effectively steer the initial course of democratisation in the country.

Extending Democracy to Pakistan's Tribal Areas

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:08:19 +0500

A major reason why Pakistan’s Federally-Administered Tribal Area (FATA) has been a major source of extremism and terrorism in recent years is the existence of an oppressive system of governance in the region. On the eve of the country’s 64th independence anniversary, the government of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has acted decisively against this oppression, thereby paving the way for a meaningful political response to militancy in tribal areas.

Rethinking Social Media's Role after UK Riots

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:07:22 +0500

London and some other British cities saw widespread vandalism and violence for three consecutive nights following the killing of a suspect black gangster on August 6 by police in London. Back in 1985, the city’s Tottenham area, where Mark Duggan’s death occurred, had experienced riots after a similar incident. So was the case with the 1992 riots in Los Angeles that followed the TV coverage of Rodney King being thrashed by LAPD personnel.

Monstrous Face of Europe’s Far-Right

Fri, 3 Jun 2011 09:06:49 +0500

The July 22 killing of 76 innocent Norwegians, mostly teenagers, in twin terrorist attacks by lone wolf Anders Behring Breivik has exposed the monstrous face of European far-Right, a Christian fundamentalist tradition that transcends centuries. Its significant growth in recent years, afflicting especially the continent’s four Scandinavian countries—Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark—owes largely to anti-Muslim rhetoric increasingly visible in European media and political discourse.

Uncovering the truth about Srebrenica Genocide

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 09:05:57 +0500

In July 1995, well over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were separated from their wives, mothers and sisters by Bosnian Serbian army, and then killed mercilessly by the Bosnian Serbian paramilitary called ‘Scorpions’ under the command of the notorious Serbian General Ratko Mladic. The largest massacre of civilians in post-war Europe, which the International Court of Justice termed as ‘genocide’ in a 2007 ruling, took place under the nose of Dutchbat, the Dutch battalion of the UN Protection Forces (UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia, guarding the UN compound in Srebrenica, which was one of the six UN ‘safe zones’ in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Obama’s Troop Cuts: Too Little, Too Early?

Fri, 27 May 2011 09:05:08 +0500

On June 22, President Obama announced to withdraw 33,000 US troops from Afghanistan by September 2012, including 10,000 by the end of this year. The decision has come under criticism on two counts. The war-weary American people predominantly find the number too little, especially in the backdrop of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s death. The Taliban have also termed the drawdown of US troops as "symbolic." On the other hand, top US security officials consider the troop withdrawal as risky, particularly in terms of the recent counter-terrorism gains in Afghanistan.

Pakistan: Crisis State, but Resilient Nation

Fri, 20 May 2011 09:04:24 +0500

Pakistan is an important player in South Asia and way ahead of several developing countries in terms of national power and its projection. Its geo-political value for great powers amid the war on terror is hardly questionable. Like all post-colonial states, the country is faced with a host of daunting challenges, which are not insurmountable and in no way disqualify it as a functioning state.

Post-Bin Laden US-Pakistan Relations

Fri, 13 May 2011 09:03:44 +0500

The recent killing of Osama bin Laden by US Special Forces in Abbottabad has once again put Pakistan in the international spotlight. The United States has accused Pakistani military and intelligence of complicity or incompetence, as the al-Qaeda leader was found living comfortably in a house located close to Pakistan Military Academy. Pakistan has, in turn, accused the United States of violating its national sovereignty and warned that a repeat of another such unauthorised US operation on its soil will lead to an irreconcilable rupture in its counter-terrorism ties with the United States.

The World after Bin Laden

Fri, 6 May 2011 09:02:46 +0500

The death of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is a major blow to the international terrorist network. As an iconic figure of global jihad, Bin Laden was able to inspire a whole generation of radical Muslims to kill innocent people in the name of Islam. In Pakistan alone, some 35,000 fellow Muslims have become a victim of the killing spree he ignited and justified sadistically through several dozen audio and video messages released since 2001. Whoever replaces Bin Laden as a leader of al-Qaeda will never possess the charismatic value he acquired through a 30-year stint in directing international jihad from the early days of the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

Resolving the Afghanistan Conflict

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:01:31 +0500

The conflict in Afghanistan is currently at a critical point, as efforts are afoot to resolve it not just with the employment of military instrument alone but also complementing it with political means and economic incentives so as to effectively tackle terrorism-ridden insurgency and extremism as its fuelling force. The Afghan government, with support from its international partners, has started an ambitious reintegration and reconciliation process. It has reached out to Pakistan for help in this regard, and Pakistan appears willing to play a role for the purpose. For the first time in the last nine and a half years of the war in Afghanistan, the opportunity of seeking a regional solution to a conflict that has overtime regionalised is certainly on the horizon.

Stalemate over Libya

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 09:00:42 +0500

When allied planes started heavy bombardment of military targets in Libya in late March and rebel forces made rapid advancement thereafter, it appeared that the days of the Qaddafi regime were numbered. Not anymore. The battle between anti-Qaddafi armed rebels and forces loyal to the Libyan leader has effectively entered a stalemate.

Cricket Diplomacy

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 09:00:01 +0500

In India-Pakistan relations, what diplomats have long failed to achieve, cricketers may finally deliver: the much-awaited peace between the two South Asian rivals, even if an unstable one in the beginning. Who is a winner or a loser may certainly have been an issue for emotive populations of the two countries watching their respective cricket team play the world cup semi-final at Mohali in India, in which Pakistan was defeated. However, the real significance of by far the most important match of ICC World Cup 2011, held on March 30, lies in its potential of becoming the occasion to start a meaningful dialogue for peace between India and Pakistan.

Western paradox over Arabian revolutions

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 08:58:43 +0500

As soon as Arab streets and squares started to produce popular revolutions early this year, the United States and its European allies, which have long supported North African and Middle Eastern dictatorships, had to make a critical choice: that of adapting to the new political reality of the region and supporting the forces of democracy. There was, indeed, visible reluctance on their part to abandon the dictatorial rulers—with the French standing by Ben Ali of Tunisia until the very last moment, and the United States likewise preferring smooth democratic transition under Mubarak. In the end, however, what the people in the two countries wanted prevailed, and two of the staunchest pro-Western rulers were ousted from power.

Reversing the Tide of Extremism in Pakistan

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:58:31 +0500

The recent killing of Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti points to a disturbing pattern in Pakistan, whereby extremist-terrorist groups abusing the issue of blasphemy have taken the law into their hands and are on a killing spree. Their aim is to physically eliminate the high-profile political figures of the ruling party who had called for repealing or modifying the country’s blasphemy laws after Aasia Bibi’s conviction last November. Governor Punjab Salman Taseer was the first to go. Will Sherry Rehman, the mover of the now-withdrawn parliamentary bill to prevent the misuse of blasphemy laws, be the next?