Goodbye, Kashmir!

Bend a little. Make some concessions. Do a compromise deal. Don't be stuck up on sovereignty. Stop repeating that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Or else.
All this, and more, has been the recurring theme of unequivocal, blunt messages flashed by pushy US State Department officials in Washington and their smirking lackey in khaki in Islamabad to spineless wonders who occupy South Block in New Delhi and have a fetish for 'thinking out of the box.'

Arms licenses’ computerization: right step to check crimes

ISLAMABAD, : Proliferation of small arms are known to have played a pivotal role in fueling insurgency, terrorism as well as formation of urban gangs and at the same time undermined development initiatives or other moves to bring about peace in the country. Successive regimes kept  adopting numerous measures to stop the relentless spread of firearms in society and also launched campaigns in their tenures, but all this went in vain. Today as the already fragile law and order starts to endanger every nook and corner of the country, the present regime has tasked National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to computerize arm licenses. This step has been envisioned to ensure transparency and check illegal weapons.

Practicing the Presence of God

I have been thinking about Enoch’s walk with God. What an incredible way to be remembered. I would like to be remembered that way.
Years ago, I read the book, Practicing the Presence of God and since then, I have often prayed that God would enable me to walk with Him like Enoch did.
I used to think that when God answered my prayer, I would be in a perpetual state of euphoria and contentment. I though problems of any kind would not bother me because I would automatically trust God as soon as the challenge came. No matter what came my way, I wouldn’t flinch. I would be content even when the workload seemed overwhelming. No matter what happened I would be able to say, as the apostle Paul did, “I have learned to be content in whatever state I am in.

The national interest

      The war scare with the USA was supposed to have been taken up by the National Assembly on Monday, and it was, but it was overtaken by domestic events, and the really hot topic was the outbreak of rioting after the extent of loadshedding was increased dramatically. The Assembly was fobbed off by the PM promising that a Parliamentary Committee would be set up to monitor the implementation of the All Parties Conference (APC) resolution on the crisis, in which they had expressed backing for the armed forces, though without mentioning against whom. However, what seemed of more importance was the fact of the backing. Thus, the Pakistan armed forces were satisfied, while the US also was not offended too much. However, Washington was not able to gain what it really wanted, which was for the Pakistan Army to launch an attack on the Haqqani network.

Learning from an African woman

      Wangari Mary Josephine Maathai (1940-2011) passed away on September 25. She was a Kenyan and Africa’s first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize Winner (2004). More importantly, she was one of the world’s greatest human beings we have seen. True, there have been many great women and men walking on this earth, of course, and many are not given the recognition that Professor Maathai was in their lifetime.