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  • Gwadar - Port of Hope or Despair?
    Alok Bansal.    ·   08 Jul, 2005    ·    #1783    ·    Commentary    
    The Pakistan government has declared that the first phase of the Gwadar Port to be complete. It was not inaugurated by the Chinese Prime Minister as scheduled 'due to various reasons'. This fact is significant and indicates further deterior ...
  • Skardu: The Key To Tap Pakistan's Waters?
    Seema Sridhar.    ·   16 Jun, 2005    ·    #1767    ·    Commentary    
    Pakistan's recent hysteria over India violating the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and cutting off its lifeline must be examined and understood within the context of its internal struggle for water resources. Pakistan has an acute need to harness th ...
  • The Insignificant Other
    .    ·   16 Jun, 2005    ·    #1766    ·    Commentary    
    We hang our head in shame and embarrassed silence, and hope for a miracle that can liberate enlightened moderation from the curse of religious bigots. What are we witnessing in this pious land? The democratic course Pakistan had set sails to is now ...
  • Gohar Serves a Googly
    Lt. Gen. Vijay Oberoi (Retd.).    ·   14 Jun, 2005    ·    #1763    ·    Commentary    
    Gohar Ayub Khan, son of late Field Marshal Ayub Khan, has set the proverbial cat among the pigeons with his revelations relating to the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict ahead of the publication of his autobiography. Essentially, the revelations are abo ...
  • Baglihar and Kishanganga: Problems of Trust
    Alok Bansal.    ·   13 Jun, 2005    ·    #1762    ·    Commentary    
    During his last visit to New Delhi, the renowned Pakistani journalist and Editor of The Friday Times, Najam Sethi, remarked that for most Pakistanis water is a more serious issue today than the resolution of Kashmir. He also remarked that the Bagli ...
  • Siachen - The Ninth Round: The Freeze Continues
    Lt. Gen. Vijay Oberoi (Retd.).    ·   08 Jun, 2005    ·    #1761    ·    Commentary    
    The Ninth Round of negotiations on Siachen ended on 27 May 2005, again on an inconclusive note. It is apparent that the two sides are sticking to their positions. The resolution of this dispute is not all that difficult, provided Pakistan accepts t ...
  • The India-Pakistan Peace Process: Looking Beyond Musharraf
    .    ·   30 May, 2005    ·    #1755    ·    Commentary    
    The India Pakistan peace talks are seen as an important process which was long over due to unshackle the two countries trapped in their congenital mutual fixations. But the process should not be seen as a conclusive one as there have been instances ...
  • Revisiting Indo-Pak 2002 Border Confrontation - I: Why 13 December?
    D Suba Chandran.    ·   14 May, 2005    ·    #1746    ·    Commentary    
    Why did 13 December 2001 attack on Indian Parliament took place? Was it because the Agra summit failed? Was it because September 11 inspired the non-state actors in South Asia to carry out similar spectacular attacks in the region? Was it because I ...
  • Kalabagh, Bhasha or Skardu - Pakistan's Quest for Mega Dams
    Alok Bansal.    ·   13 May, 2005    ·    #1741    ·    Commentary    
    Of late the realization has dawned in Pakistan that the Tarbela Dam has more than done its job. It is fast silting and has lost 30 percent of its storage capacity. Desilting the reservoir could be a solution, but that would cost a huge fortune. Tha ...
  • Sidelining the Baglihar: Overlooking a Critical CBM?
    Seema Sridhar.    ·   10 May, 2005    ·    #1736    ·    Commentary    
    President Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their high profile 'cricket diplomacy' could not reach an understanding on Baglihar issue. India prefers a bilateral process to resolve the problem; but this progress has been ver ...
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