Tag: Asif Haroon Raja

Presidential election held on 30 June 2013 kicked up lot of dust owing to PPP’s cranky behavior. PML-N’s demand to seek a change of date was not with mala fide intention.

Eleven-year war has not only given tremendous experience of fighting guerrilla war to both Army and militants but also has removed inhibitions and fears of each other.

hen George W Bush decided to invade Afghanistan, outwardly he pretended that the purpose was to avenge 9/11 attacks allegedly perpetrated by Osama bin Laden led al-Qaeda based in Afghanistan and to free the world from the menace of terrorism and to prevent 9/11 like attacks to recur.

When East Pakistan was part of Pakistan, it was much smaller in size than West Pakistan but was more populated.

Pakistan commemorates Kashmir solidarity day on 5 February every year to demonstrate their unequivocal support for the valiant struggle of the Kashmiri people in achieving their legitimate right to self -determination.

The dawn of 2012 heralded political fireworks and clash of institutions. Clashes were a carry forward of 2011 in which Abbottabad Commission investigating the US helicopters assault on 2 May, memo scandal and NRO review case kept the nation busy.

In pursuance of its policy of disregarding rule of law and defying the Supreme Court (SC), the PPP leadership has decided to ignore the apex court verdict directing it to write a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen money laundering trial case pending against Zardari & Co that was held in abeyance as a consequence to 5 October NRO issued by Gen Musharraf to share power with Benazir Bhutto.

When the US decided to invade Afghanistan and topple Taliban regime led by Mullah Omar since it had refused to hand over Bin Laden suspected of being involved in 9/11 attacks, all the neighbors of Afghanistan including near neighbors supported USA.

Benazir Bhutto (BB) was the first women prime minister in the Muslim world. She remained in power twice and earned worldwide fame.

The total strength of ISAF in Afghanistan exceeds that of any foreign military force ever before stationed in that country.

Military operation codenamed Rah-e-Nijat launched against Mehsud inhabited South Waziristan in October 2009 dismantled base of Hakimullah Mehsud.

Till 2004, Pakistan was a peaceful country and suicide bombing was unheard of. The figure of terrorism afflicted casualties began to rise from 2005 onwards and by 2007 the number rose to 3599 killed.

Civil war in Afghanistan is raging since 1976. It saw relative calm and stability during brief spell of Taliban rule, but peace was snatched away by USA and the country was again pushed into the inferno.

Balochistan has figured high on the agenda of USA because of its geo-strategic importance. Former USSR too had toyed with the idea of Balochistan getting separated and coming under its influence since it provided the shortest route to warm waters.

Shamsi airbase near Kharan in turbulent Balochistan was in news for sometime but Karachi situation deflected the attention.

The US and its three strategic allies Israel, Britain and India, the champions of terrorism, made terrorism as an excuse to vandalize Muslims and to defame Islam.

Although the US has failed to win war in Afghanistan, it has succeeded in achieving most objectives it had chalked out in September 2001 against Pakistan through covert war.

Although Pakistan has remained tied to USA since early 1950s and never shirked from volunteering its services whenever the US asked for, but the relations between the two never matured into long lasting strategic relationship.

Looking back into the events of first decade of new millennium, one is bewildered to see that despite being the most powerful nation on earth and having military apparatus on a scale greater than the sum of every other country, the US has patently failed to impose its solution on Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

After achieving its initial objective of occupying Afghanistan and making it a base of operations for its covert war in the region, CIA hastened to establish its network in FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since Pakistan figured high in America’s agenda.

Both Gen Musharraf and President Zardari went out of the way to accommodate US legal and illegal wishes.

Our media has created super hype over incidents of US helicopters assault in Abbottabad, Mehran naval base attack, Kharotabad incident in Quetta, killing of Sarfaraz Shah in Karachi at the hands of soldier of Sindh Rangers, and murder of journalist Saleem Shehzad.

India had waged a war in 1947 to annex princely state of Kashmir and prevent it from acceding to Pakistan. But for valiant response action of Pak Army and Azad forces, India would have gobbled up whole of it.

Hardly a week has lapsed since the shattering news of helicopter assault by US SEALs leading to Osama bin Laden’s death and already several branches have sprouted from the trunk of the original story. Too many doubts are being expressed about the authenticity of the claims made by rejoicing US leaders. As the clouds of skepticism are getting thicker, euphoria of US leadership is correspondingly getting deflated.

Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have remained frosty ever since Pakistan came into being. King Zahir Shah, Dawood, Taraqi, Hafiz Amin, Dr Najibullah and Babrak Karmal remained friendly to former Soviet Union and India and hostile towards Pakistan owing to self created dispute over Durand Line and Pakhtunistan stunt.

Pak-US relations have seen many ups and downs starting early 1950s when Pakistan decided to join western pacts and became a US ally.

Islam was brought into Indian subcontinent in 712 by Muhammad bin Qasim after he conquered Sindh ruled by Hindu Raja Dahir. His arrival sowed the seeds of antagonism between the Hindus and Muslims.

By BG Asif Haroon Raja for Opinion Maker and VT In September 2001, the whole world comity was behind USA. The UN had authorized...

And Israel too, just maybe. By Asif Haroon Raja Illegal creation of state of Israel in 1948 with the help of USA and Britain at the...