All Blog Posts (1,917)

Hindu Nationalists Force Recall and Destruction of "Anti-Hindu" Book

"If someone makes a cartoon of the prophet Mohammad, Muslims are outraged around the world. So why should anyone write anything against Hinduism and get away with it?" Dinanath Batra



Batra, the man who oversaw revisions in Indian history textbooks for the country's National Council of Education, Research and Training (NCERT), has forced Penguin India to recall and destroy all copies of "The Hindus: An…

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Added by Riaz Haq on February 13, 2014 at 2:58pm — 3 Comments

Japan Agrees to Finance and Build Modern Mass Transit System in Karachi

Pakistan's federal government and Sindh provincial government are close to a deal with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to finance a modern mass transit system befitting the megacity of Karachi with a population of nearly 20 million, according to a Pakistani TV Channel.…

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Added by Riaz Haq on February 11, 2014 at 10:00pm — 21 Comments

"Last Chance" For Peace in Pakistan Taliban Talks

"I am sure the whole nation would be behind the government if and when we launch a military operation against the terrorists - but I want to give peace a final chance," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told members of  Pakistan's parliament in a televised speech on January 29, 2014.



So why did Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decide to make the "final chance" offer of talks to the TTP just when it seemed his government was ready to launch a military operation to root out the Pakistani…

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Added by Riaz Haq on February 10, 2014 at 10:39pm — 11 Comments

Can India-born CEO Satya Nadella Fix Microsoft?

Microsoft, the world's largest software company, has named Satya Nardella, an Indian-American company veteran of 20 years, as its new CEO to replace its long-time leader and Bill Gates' pal Steve Ballmer. It's clearly a matter of great pride for not only his fellow Indian-Americans in the United States but also in India, Nadella's country of birth. I offer my sincere congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Nadella and his fellow Indians who are celebrating it as their own success. The…

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Added by Riaz Haq on February 4, 2014 at 11:00pm — 14 Comments

Japanese Plan to Invest to Expand Business in Pakistan

Japanese companies have "strong intentions to expand their business for the reasons of “sales increase” and “high growth potential.” in Pakistan.  JETRO 2013 Report



Japanese companies doing business in Pakistan have ranked the country second in the world in terms of business growth, according to a survey conducted by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).…



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Added by Riaz Haq on January 31, 2014 at 6:00pm — 2 Comments

"Big 3" Power Grab Will Hurt the Sport of Cricket

Australia, England and India, the three biggest revenue producing nations in the world of cricket, are seeking to remodel International Cricket Council (ICC) along the lines of the UN Security Council. They are making a naked bid to get more money and power for themselves at the expense of the cricket boards of the rest of the ICC member nations including Bangladesh, New Zealand,…

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Added by Riaz Haq on January 28, 2014 at 4:00pm — 6 Comments

Pakistan's Financial and Human Capital Development 1999-2007

Pakistan experienced rapid economic and human capital growth in years 2000 to 2008 on President Pervez Musharraf's watch. Savings, investments and exports hit new records and the rate of increase in human development reached new highs not seen before…

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Added by Riaz Haq on January 19, 2014 at 5:30pm — 18 Comments

Study Says Pakistanis Are Meat Eaters

A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Nature magazine reports that Pakistanis are among the most carnivorous people in the world.



The scientists conducting the study  used "trophic levels" to place people in the food chain. The trophic system puts…

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Added by Riaz Haq on January 17, 2014 at 8:30am — 3 Comments

Was Musharraf's Rule Legitimate?

F

Former President Musharraf's detractors argue that he lacked legitimacy because he came to power through a coup which removed a duly elected government in 1999.

Implicit in Musharraf's opponents' argument is the assumption that the electoral process is the only source of legitimacy for a ruler. It ignores the possibility that the will of the people can also be expressed in ways other than elections to confer legitimacy on a leader. It rejects the notion that a leader…

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Added by Riaz Haq on January 15, 2014 at 1:30pm — 9 Comments

Pakistan Terrorism Deaths in 2013

Total number of deaths in Pakistan terrorist violence declined from 6,211 in 2012 to 5,279 in 2013, the lowest since 11,704 fatalities suffered in 2009, according to figures compiled by South Asia Terrorism Portal.…



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Added by Riaz Haq on January 7, 2014 at 8:03pm — 1 Comment

Karachi's KSE-100 Shares Index Handily Beats Emerging Market Indices in 2013

Karachi's KSE-100 Stock Market Index was up 49.4% (37% in US$ terms) in 2013, beating all but four stock indices in the world. It handily beat Morgan Stanley's MSCI emerging market index which remained essentially flat. By comparison, India's main stock index rose just 8.89% in the…

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Added by Riaz Haq on January 6, 2014 at 7:00pm — 4 Comments

Pakistani-American's Solution For SME Financing in Developing Countries

Pakistani-American Prof. Asim Khwaja and his doctoral student Bailey Klinger at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government observed that banks have money to lend, but even profitable small businesses in developing nations often cannot access it, choking growth.…

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Added by Riaz Haq on January 1, 2014 at 11:30am — 1 Comment

Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah's Vision: Islamic or Secular Pakistan?

An ongoing debate about the vision of Pakistan's founder flares up every year around Christmas time which coincides with Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's birthday. It is centered on one key question: Did the Quaid want an Islamic state or a secular one?



Islamic or Secular Pakistan?…



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Added by Riaz Haq on December 30, 2013 at 3:40pm — 5 Comments

Benazir Bhutto: The Matron of Taliban

Today is the 6th anniversary of the death of Pakistan Peoples Party leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She was assassinated on December 27, 2007 after addressing an election rally at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.  It is believed that her assassination was ordered by Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani wing of the Taliban called the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Mehsud was later…

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Added by Riaz Haq on December 28, 2013 at 9:00am — 6 Comments

Imagine Pakistan as an Asian Tiger

Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea  experienced a dramatic rise under authoritarian regimes from 1960s through 1990s. The dictators who led these states also showed the way to…

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Added by Riaz Haq on December 14, 2013 at 10:00pm — 3 Comments

Major IT Projects in Pakistan Public Sector

IT projects ranging from automated meter reading and computerized land records management to online education and mobile banking are now at various stages of implementation across Pakistan.  In a report released today, the World Bank calls these projects "unprecedented in the public sector in developing countries". The objective of these efforts is to…

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Added by Riaz Haq on December 11, 2013 at 11:00pm — 34 Comments

Pakistani Drones

Drone is now a household word in Pakistan. It outrages many Pakistanis when used by Americans to hunt militants and launch missiles in FATA. At the same time, it inspires a young generation of students to study artificial intelligence at 60 engineering colleges and universities in Pakistan. It has given rise to robotics competitions at engineering universities like…

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Added by Riaz Haq on December 3, 2013 at 11:30pm — 7 Comments

Pakistan's Falling Rupee and Foreign Reserves

Pakistani rupee has sharply declined to 109.50 rupees to a US dollar, a loss of nearly 10% of its value in just a few months since Mr. Nawaz Sharif was sworn in as Prime Minister in June, 2013. At the same time, the foreign exchange reserves have plunged to $3.463 billion, a 12-year low since November 2001 when country had foreign reserves of $3.5…

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Added by Riaz Haq on December 2, 2013 at 8:00am — 8 Comments

When Ayub Met JFK in 1961



I was a little child growing up in Karachi when the news of JFK's assassination was received with great shock and extreme sorrow in Pakistan. That was 50 years ago today. Just a couple years earlier in 1961, Pakistan's President Mohammad Ayub Khan had  made a successful state visit to the United States. He was warmly received at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington DC by US President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy. …
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Added by Riaz Haq on November 22, 2013 at 6:49pm — No Comments

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    Blog Posts

    Biden's Gaza Ceasefire Veto Defies American Public Opinion

    Aaron Bushnell, an active serviceman in the United States Air Force, burned himself to death in front of the Israeli Embassy in protest against the US policy in Gaza. Before setting himself on fire in what he called an "extreme act of protest", he said he would "no longer be complicit in genocide". Polls show that the vast majority (63%) of Americans want an immediate end to the carnage being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza.  …

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on February 27, 2024 at 5:30pm

    Pakistan Elections: Imran Khan's Supporters Skillfully Used Tech to Defy Powerful Military

    Independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) party emerged as the largest single block with 93 seats in the nation's parliament in the general elections held on February 8, 2024.  This feat was accomplished in spite of huge obstacles thrown in front of the PTI's top leader Imran Khan and his party leaders and supporters by Pakistan's powerful military…

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on February 16, 2024 at 9:22pm — 1 Comment

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