Saleem's Post

  On Afghanistan’s instability  Afghanistan’s instability acts as a catalyst that speeds up the political and economic uncertainty in neighboring Pakistan. Afghanistan’s predicament is compounded as Pakistan turns away to underwrite many of IEA’s blunders. The ungrateful attitude of the Taliban leadership has forced Pakistan to press for the repatriation of illegal Afghan refugees and bomb TTP sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Today, the  problems faced by the Taliban government are: 1.       Diplomatic illegitimacy that curtails the unfreezing of approximately USD 9 billion in Afghan government assets held in the US banks after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. 2.   A severe drought in the Southwest forces Afghans to migrate to Iran. 3. Lax border control, especially along the Durand Line makes cross-border terrorism possible. 4. Failure to put TTP under the leash. 5. Lack of unity of command within the Taliban leadership. 6. Challenge from the No...

  Hamas launched a large-scale scale operation against Israel early in the morning of 7 October 2023. The attack started with a rocket barrage, followed by a swift land, air, and sea invasion through foot soldiers, ultralight aircraft, paragliders, and landing craft. The militant groups forced their way through Gaza border crossings after bulldozing the barrier that separates the 140 square kilometer Gaza strip from Israel. They entered the Israeli settlements and military installations, surrounding civilian communities, and the military bases, taking the settlers and military personnel by surprise. Benjamin Netanyahu initially vowed to decimate Hamas and hinted at expelling the entire Palestinian population from Gaza. In his eagerness to upstage Netanyahu, Biden urged that destroying Hamas was Israel’s duty. Biden’s harangue was targeted at the Democratic Party’s voters – US elections are scheduled in 2024. However, Netanyahu’s initial cockiness was diluted when he realized...

  Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was Pakistan’s first declared civilian Chief Martial Law Administrator. A ruthless terminator of his political rivals, he was, nevertheless, a pleasant conversationist who accorded due respect to those with whom he felt comfortable. And he plugged hard all those against whom he felt threatened. Remember how he sent his henchmen to break J.A. Rahim’s legs? Qudrat Ullah Shahab was an ex-bureaucrat with whom Bhutto had worked in Ayub Khan’s government. As the PM in post-71 Pakistan, he always addressed Shahab as “Aap Sahib- Your Excellency”. Bhutto sent Shahab on a comfortable research appointment to the UK to compensate him for the harsh treatment meted out to him by an uncouth (Bud Tameez is the Urdu synonym) and unforgiving Yahya Khan. Bhutto had a soft corner for the young generation, whom he politically exploited to the hilt. During one of his tours to the army’s forward-defended localities, Bhutto asked a subaltern if he was enjoying his life.   ...