Pata Khazana (The Hidden Treasure):  A haze of controversy surrounds the ancient jewel of Pashto Literature (Observations by: Angelina Merisi) One would expect to find some level of controversy, surrounding an obscure, archaic manuscript found in an old village Mosque in 1886, subsequently claimed to disclose Pashto poems and biographical sketches from the eighth century straight down through the eighteenth ...

The on going political schism in Pakistan is manifested in conflict between civilian and military elites over controlling the system for policy making and resource allocation. It is also reflected in a prolonged political confrontation encouraged by the security establishment to put pressure on civilian governments for expanding its control. But since both the civil and military factions of the ...

How to prevent turning natives of Balochistan into minorities in their own home province This morning I read a Facebook post from our learned friend and former Senator Sana Baloch (Sanullah Baloch) where he voices concerns about the likelihood of natives of Balochistan (Baloch/Pashtuns) soon turning into minorities in view of the large population transfers and dislocations that CPEC is ...

While reading the autobiography of Bacha Khan Baba, one could argue that little has changed concerning the plight of Pashtun people, particularly the people of the FATA, since the time of British Colonial rule. In fact it seems as though one set of colonisers has been merely exchanged for another.   Bacha Khan discusses that in 1901, the British introduced ...

The most glaring irony of the “federal, parliamentary democratic system” of Pakistan is that we congratulate ourselves when our elected assemblies complete their constitutional term (so far that has happened only once) and we also do the same when an army chief retires on the expiry of his tenure! Historically, apart from imposing outright martial laws, the deep state has ...

“The Chinese grab for fossil fuels or its military competition for naval control is not a challenge but rather a boost for the US Asia-Pacific –even an overall– posture. Calibrating the contraction of its overseas projection and commitments – some would call it managing the decline of an empire – the US does not fail to note that nowadays half ...

For the last few weeks there were palpable, if not visible simmering currents under the surface that at last Afghans have realized that Pakistan is not trust worthy and there is a realization on both sides of that quest of Peace in Afghan Land is for Afghan to materialize. It was a soothing feeling for all after a long time ...

Pakistan eviction drive of Afghans residing in Pakistan is yet another pathetic and dehumanising face of our country.  It’s policy in shambles just like its foreign policy choices. After hosting them (albeit not for free, millions had been taken from international communities in economic and military assistance), the syndicated images spluttered over local media shows them in hordes crossing the ...

State within a state are deemed norms in present day political phenomenon. But to have a glomerulus of states within a State might wonder some people. State is a type of polity that an organized community living under system of government or authority. Its functions are many but some significant out of the important are; security from internal or external ...

According to the provisions of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) they are liable to be charged under the principle of collective responsibility where the entire tribe can be punished for the offense committed by an individual. FATA Pashtuns in general and those from Waziristan in particular are a horrible example of the fact that people of peripheries are expendable and ...