By: G. Sarwar Yourish

July 27, 2009

Pakistan: Ally or Taliban Partner?

In 2008 a new situation took shape in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region: the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan, the escalation of terrorist activities by extremist  militants in Pakistan  and the continued sanctuary of global Islamist networks in that country.  This prompted the U.S. Government to review its strategy in the region....Read More

Debate on Afghanistan Series_Issue

Nowadays a heated debate is taking place inside the U.S. government, in media and among the academia on the role of U.S. and its NATO allies in Afghanistan. The debate is focused on various issues, problems and challenges faced by the United States in the Afghanistan and Pakistan region: counterinsurgency and counter-narcotics campaign, nation-building and state-building, corruption and incompetence in government institutions, the legitimacy of the election process, the role of Pakistan in the Afghan crisis, winning the hearts and minds of the people, etc. Similar debate is in progress in Canada and Europe, especially U.K, Germany, France, Italy and Holland that are the main non-U.S.NATO contributors in the Afghan War. 

This is the first of a series of opinions on different issues under discussion. Read More

Reforming Pakistan’s Tribal Areas: Too-Little Too-Late

On Pakistan’s 62nd Independence Day, President Asif Ali Zardari announced the long awaited political reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. President Zardari lifted a ban on the activities of political parties, which had deprived the inhabitants of FATA from forming political parties and the right to association and freedom of speech as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan for the rest of its citizens. The people of FATA can elect members to the Pakistani parliament; however, these elected members can neither legislate for FATA nor do they have the authority to represent their constituencies. The people must be provided with an opportunity to take part in the legislation of their immediate areas within FATA. At present, the people of FATA are only symbolically represented in the Pakistani senate (upper house); however, such symbolism does not benefit the citizens because, according to Pakistan’s Constitution, legislation for FATA remains the exclusive authority of any sitting President of Pakistan. Read More