Pervez Iqbal The people of his era were tough and hard. That is why they lived long lives like he did. I am writing about I Hassan (Inayetullah Hassan), a blood relation, a freelance columnist, broadcaster, commentator and foreign correspondent. Above all, a role model for me and many others. People who read these pages of this paper would also remember his column which appeared every Tuesday under the title “Cutting edge”. He breathed his last (quietly, in keeping with his nature) during the last week of the year just gone by after a long, but well-handled, illness. He wrote … Continue reading Tribute to a journalist

Rahimullah Yusufzai Imagine a most-wanted man listening to the radio carrying reports of his death and hearing not very well-informed analysts talking about its consequences. All this sounds bizarre, but this is what seems to have happened on Jan 14 when the CIA fired its drones to kill Pakistani Taliban commander Hakimullah Mahsud in the remote Shaktoi area in South Waziristan. Hakimullah survived, claiming that he wasn’t even there at the time of the attack and contradicting his spokesman, Azam Tariq, who had earlier said that the “ameer,” or head, was in Shaktoi but had left before the pilotless US … Continue reading The hunt for Rabid Mullah Hakimullah

It has become clear to the US that reforming the madressahs will not suffice since they cater to merely five per cent of all school-going youngsters in the country. –File Photo According to the Washington Post, the US is all set to spend $200m on education in Pakistan this year. This is United States Agency for International Education’s (USAID) largest education programme worldwide. There is a realisation on America’s part that its war strategy has been misdirected and that a military approach alone will not lead to a conclusive victory. There is a need to change the thinking of those … Continue reading Aid for education – forget the mullahs, just develop an education system that will develop the nation

By Kamran Shafi Will our army pack its bags and escape into Afghanistan to disengage itself from the fighting, if India goes to war with Pakistan? –Photo by AP And how does it help us? We are engaged in the Great Game in Afghanistan, we are told, because ‘strategic depth’ is vital for Pakistan due to the fact that our country is very narrow at its middle and could well be cut into half by an Indian attack in force. Strategic depth, we are further informed, will give respite to our armed forces which could withdraw into Afghanistan to then … Continue reading Defining ‘strategic depth’

Airport scanner companies queue for business after ‘underpants bomber’ Detroit bomb attempt opens $600m opportunities for Rapiscan and other full-body scanner manufacturers Andrew Clark New York guardian.co.uk Rapiscan body scanner on trial at Manchester airport. The Detroit bomb attempt by the ‘underpants bomber’ has opened prospects for rival scanner makers. Photograph: Christopher Thomond The alleged “underpants bomber” who tried to blow up flight 253 to Detroit on Christmas Day has triggered a vigorous commercial race to cash in on a $600m (£370m) opportunity to fit airports with full-body scanners detecting concealed explosives. Unnerved by terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s apparent … Continue reading Vampire companies queue for business after ‘underpants bomber’

Twitter terror arrest: cause for concern The arrest of a man for making a joke about terrorism on Twitter is the inevitable consequence of a paranoid, risk-averse society Ally Fogg guardian.co.uk, It seems one can no longer make jokes about terrorist bombs without risking arrest. At a juncture in history where terrorists have taken to sporting exploding underpants, this is unfortunate to say the least. It’s hard to muster much sympathy for the unnamed German airline passenger who was arrested recently for making a joke to security about the bomb in his underwear. He deserves his fine for wasting the … Continue reading The arrest of a man for making a joke about terrorism on Twitter is the inevitable consequence of a paranoid, risk-averse society