COLUMN
India’s limited life-line in Afghanistan
While India continues to plan to expand its foothold in Afghanistan, using its alliance with the United States as its main source of support, and has also developed a seemingly strong relationship with Kabul, a close reading of geo-politics in this region shows that the prospects of a strong Indian presence are bleak. For one thing, India’s main reliance is on the US, which is itself gearing up to withdraw... More
Myanmar’s economy could go into a tailspin as currency woes deepen
y Fears that Myanmar’s currency crisis has only momentarily stalled are growing, as the government does not seem to see any urgency in tackling the underlying causes of the recent fall in the kyat’s value against the dollar. Regional analysts believe a major collapse of the currency remains very real. Their fears were justified when, the end of last week, the kyat plummeted once again to over K 1,600, largely... More
Bangladesh’s grenade attack case: Politics of past or future?
The October 10 special tribunal verdict on the August 2004 grenade attack case that killed 24 and injured many including Bangladesh’s current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina didn’t carry too many surprises since it was a foregone conclusion that the “guilty men” would be handed out tough sentences. It was earlier speculated that BNP’s acting chief and Begum Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman may be awarded the death sentence, but he... More
Spreading falsehood and distorting facts
Initiated in 2014 the Ashiana-Iqbal project could not be completed mainly because an illegal award increased the cost, and if it were to be initiated now, the escalated cost of Rs 40 billion will be borne either by the applicants of the government. As Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general between 2013 and 2016, Ahad Khan Cheema was also a member on the Punjab Land Development Corporation (PLDC) board.... More
RSS: Glasnost or public relations?
India's Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) claims to be a social organisation but those who have closely followed it say it is the political high-platform of Hindutva. Its Nagpur headquarters is located in Maharashtra’s Nagpur city, where in the 18th century originated the Hindu Pad Padshahi or the vision of a Hindu nation-state during the reign of the Peshwas. The Peshwas drove the limits of Maratha empire to Attock in the northwest... More
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