Category: Articles
-
“DO MORE” WITHIN DAYS OF IK’S EXIT. WHAT’S NEXT?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan When you cheat in an exam after bribing the staff, there is a sheepish look for the uninitiated. However, if you are an accomplished liar, you gloat and pretend as if nothing happened. That is the attitude prevailing in the new setup. It may have worked in previous change of…
-
BEGGARS CAN’T CHOOSE; THEY CAN BE CHOSEN
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Donald Lu is the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian and Central Asian Affairs since 2021. As a veteran diplomat he has extensive exposure in this region. He served as a Political Officer in Peshawar from 1992 to 1994 and was Deputy Chief of US Mission in India in…
-
LOOT SALE TRIGGERED BY FOREIGN, LOCAL PARTNERS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Following developments in Pakistan a quote of Henry Kissinger says it all, “America is strong for two reasons. They search for traitors in their country and kill them. And they search for traitors in other countries and use them.” We have an abundant supply of such “For Sale” material willing…
-
WHAT’S AFTER OIC PRESTIGIOUS MOOT
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan With a dust storm on the political horizon, conspiracy theorists and rumor mongers are having a field day. The dust will begin to settle soon. Watching a clip of my friend Hassan Nisar cleared my mind about what we are contending with. Both PPP and PML (N) are far from…
-
FUTURE COURSE FOR PM IK
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Marcus Aurelius was the last Roman Emperor during a period known as “Pax Romana”, an age of relative peace and stability from 27BC to 180 AD. He was a successful ruler and recorded in history as a prominent stoic philosopher. His thoughts are valid even today. In his philosophical work…
-
NO CONFIDENCE – A RETURN TO THE DARK DAYS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I was looking forward to enjoying Lahore’s blissful spring this March in company of friends and family. It would be a pleasant break while escaping the blistering Canadian cold. It was not meant to be. The political temperatures here are soaring and uncertainty is in the air. When a…
-
WHAT’S THE RUSH FOR A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan ”Meray Aziz Hum watano” translates “My dear fellow countrymen” is an opening phrase we have heard many times. Especially in a gruff no nonsense voice. Are we headed there? Far too many times internal squabbling by politicians has led to this opening sentence. Each time the masses welcomed it, fed…
-
THE ENERGY WAR BEGINS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Human history is replete with conflicts based on ethnicity, religion and expansionism. Underlying most wars there is an element of greed, control, domination and above all economic gain. Since recorded, history battles were fought on land; moved to the seas and then onto air space. The latest advent is deployment…
-
IMMINENT WAR IN EUROPE? CONSEQUENCES ARE SCARY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Every language and culture has sayings that summarize a broad topic in a few words. My default is Punjabi. Translation takes away a lot of spice, yet I will try to convey the essence depicting consequences of a conflict in Europe. “A fight amongst wild boars destroys the valuable sugarcane.”…
-
SUCCESS ABROAD, MESS AT HOME- ARE THEY LINKED?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Punjabis like a strongman. Our folklore is full of fearless, at times rebellious characters standing up for the underdogs. Dulla Bhatti, Malangi, Jagga and Bhagat Singh are some of the prominent heroes. This trait endures till today and a strong leader’s imprint perseveres. Be it Nawab Kalabagh’s firm handling, or…