Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s hostility to NATO and the continuing dysfunction of the U.S. political system have rattled European leaders even as they appreciate the Biden administration’s assiduous diplomacy and staunch support.The United States should encourage a
flagrant violation of international law, and the West should do everything—short of engaging Russia directly—to help the Ukrainians fight Russian forces to a standstill.
China will try to behave as a more responsible country even as it cozies up to Russia.
It will presage a new kind of nonmilitary arms race, where nations compete to set up their own systems and regional commercial blocks, reconfiguring the balance of economic power.
nd the sanctions now in place will hamstring the battered Russian economy for years to come
little traction
Although it is obscene to blame the United States for Putin’s inhumane attack on Ukraine, to insist that the invasion was entirely unprovoked is misleading
and Americans must grapple with this fact.
For critics of American power, the best way for the United States to cope is for it to retrench its position in the world, divest itself of overseas obligations that others ought to handle, and serve, at most, as a distant offshore balancer.
It is easy to see why Washington felt no great compulsion to drive NATO eastward. Few Americans at that time saw the organization as a bulwark against Russian expansion
China may claim the “nine-dash line”—enclosing most of the South China Sea—as marking its sphere of interest, but until Beijing can enforce it, other powers are unlikely to acquiesce.
precludes
much-touted
New Delhi has often been a laggard.
But Washington’s latest aid package to Pakistan appears to be a tacit admission
For India, this sequence of events brings an eerie sense of déjà vu.
tempestuous
We need a concerted effort to bring together emaciated progressives, win over the centrists and then liberate the youthful mass taken in by the hateful sloganeering of various shares of rightists.
The only major difference during their recent stints in office is that Miftah did a deal with the IMF as soon as he was made finance minister, while Dar dithered and put off the inevitable.
This is true irrespective of whoever is the finance minister. Certain liberal segments are convinced that all would be well if Miftah Ismail had not been replaced by Ishaq Dar at the helm of the PDM’s economic wheel.
So we trundle along towards a genuine nazuk daur (critical period). I am not talking about the one which our (predominantly uniformed) ruling class has been threatening us with since 1947 — the basis for the obsolete militarised, rentier state logic that finally appears to be running aground.
Lest anyone has forgotten, ours is an exceedingly youthful population; 150 million young people cannot bide time forever through illicit/informal means and/or the gig economy.
Unless there is fundamental transformation of the debt-fuelled formal economy, default and/or stagflation will hit us soon
Indeed, the most viable short-term prognosis is that economy, society and polity will continue to implode.
In sum, the downward spiral shows no sign of relenting.
All the shenanigans will only result in a measly tranche of $1.2 billion, almost all of which will go straight back out of our coffers to meet existing debt repayments.
shenanigans
The most recent iteration of this merry-go-round saw the government going through the motions of farcical parliamentary legislation to levy yet more indirect taxes on a helpless populace.
czars
cobbled streets
long-standing relationship
cultural affinity
prolific
Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty is prolific, and foreign nationals often find themselves being disproportionately affected by capital punishment.
there are currently 2,000 of our countrymen languishing in Saudi jails, mostly over drug offences.
Lack of economic opportunities at home drives destitute Pakistanis into the arms of predatory criminals masquerading as overseas employment promoters, or benevolent facilitators of free umrah and Haj schemes.
The same year saw 80 Pakistani nationals released and returned home under the royal clemency
This agreement, which was negotiated by successive governments, is a testament to the cross-party recognition of the importance of protecting Pakistani prisoners in Saudi Arabia
hit a brick wall,
Since then, efforts to repatriate the remaining Pakistanis in the kingdom’s jails seem to have hit a brick wall,
The due process violations that abound in Saudi courts render any deprivation of life by the state arbitrary and unlawful.
forthwith
The diplomatic engagement seen in the past decade brought forth a hard-earned respite from executions of Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia.
rubble
Fire-safety provisions were added in 2016 under the auspices of the NDMA and Pakistan Engineering Council
Only rudimentary advice by masons or petty contractors is taken
Many multistoried buildings in otherwise planned locations also display design and construction flaws. Most were built in connivance with greedy, unscrupulous personnel in building control authorities.
Similarly, appraisal of under-construction buildings and plans needs to be carried out.
Routine safety audits must be commissioned by concerned building controllers to keep a check on inhabited buildings.
In the present economic meltdown, important priorities, such as planning for disasters, have taken a back seat.
purloined
and here in the west, a loose confederation of socially disparate provinces, each with its own subculture, local dialect and provincial pretensions.
doleful
and here in the west, a loose confederation of socially disparate provinces, each with its own subculture, local dialect and provincial pretensions.
This was not lost on the politicians on the ground but for those of us watching from afar, the larger game of machinations made us oblivious to the people on the ground.
The story of rosy health and ill health in urban settings is the story of unequal access to healthcare in a city’s rich and poor areas.
exacerbate
aggravates
derailed
His invective against the security establishment is more out of dejection than based on principle
. His angst did not come as a surprise when Gen Bajwa decided to play ‘neutral’.
It was expedient
One can understand the scorn of a dejected leader losing the establishment’s patronage
His penchant for holding forth on all issues, ranging from economic and foreign affairs to domestic policy issues at frequent addresses to the media and other professional bodies, certainly had a purpose.
the rug was pulled from under his feet
haywire
penchant
hiatus
incensed
kernel of truth
While justifying his tacit role in Khan’s fall from grace, the former army chief called his estranged protégé “dangerous for the country”
All that sounds like a dark comedy — an illustration of the sordid power game that characterises our politics.
But things have not evolved according to script this time, with a maverick actor refusing to bow out. The plot seems to have gone completely haywire with the new actors failing to perform. That has rendered the endgame perilously uncertain.
mellowing
polemical war
farce
piggybacking
pawn
While the economy teeters on the brink and a new surge of militant violence threatens the country’s security, the political situation descends into more chaos.
Two, the searing political divide and polarisation portends a troubled outlook for what might happen before, during and after general elections, whenever they are called.
Time is scarce, money is scant, and the everyday grind of life can be isolating. There is then partial truth to the common adage that the ‘masses are numb’
Pakistan is too big to fail. Its geostrategic location, its burgeoning population, its nuclear arsenal. For almost two decades these have been wielded as a threat to the neoliberal order: allow us to fail and witness the mayhem that would be unleashed.
It is the most perverse kind of complacency.
inkling
frisk
something the PTA can also partake in.
One possibility that could have traction on both sides is to revisit the four-point formula that was successfully negotiated in 2007
sought applications from aspiring candidates to vie for the NA seats
Only when the recent uptick in terrorism revealed the TTP’s agenda and real intention
when the state rescinded its policy, foreseeing the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
religious scholars had taken more than a decade to issue an unambiguous decree against terrorism
Political parties also resort to bickering as the government and opposition blame each other for the upsurge in terrorist incidents in the country
Few contours of such an approach have already been discussed on these pages
recuperating
One can’t even begin to imagine the burden of debt increased by the PTI or the unfunded subsidies it doled out when faced with the spectre of a no-confidence vote
The cumulative effect of all this dithering, coupled with global factors well beyond Pakistan’s control,
Many do agree in principle, however, that a prolonged communication gap with Pakistan will not be cost-free for India
the two countries would not only help overcome mutual mistrust but also make South Asia a bastion of peace and development.
Even the recent peace initiatives that Pakistan took elicited little reciprocity from India:
The larger concern for Pakistan is that efforts are afoot to change the demography of occupied Kashmir through new domicile rules and opening of voter lists to non-Kashmiri residents.
One possibility that could have traction on both sides is to revisit the four-point formula that was successfully negotiated in 2007
huddle
took stock of the overall political situation
Meanwhile, if the establishment continues to wield its influence over the civilian infrastructure,
factionalised
A POPULAR refrain of policymakers, many TV anchors and most public commentators in Pakistan is to vilify the IMF and to blame it for the country’s myriad economic woes ranging from the rupee ‘devaluation’ to inflation.
To what extent is the IMF responsible for our predicament
remnant, armtwist, unwavering, colossal challenge
But today’s incessant media manufactures information, indignation, outrage and hate which obliterate the possibilities for rational discourse and compromise, without which challenges will not even be addressed, let alone overcome.
The IMF descends upon Pakistan when it is faced with economic calamity and its political leaders happily waste time in litigation and mutual imprecations. They will gladly accept the IMF’s “tough love” as long as it requires neither
A POPULAR refrain of policymakers, many TV anchors and most public commentators in Pakistan is to vilify the IMF and to blame it for the country’s myriad economic woes ranging from the rupee ‘devaluation’ to inflation
The foregoing evidence should close the chapter on whether the IFIs, in particular the two Bretton Woods ‘sisters’, are aligned with US foreign policy objectives and whether their policy advice can be agenda-driven.
Where the IFIs fit into the US-constructed global “rules-based order”, meant to exert and assert its influence in the world,
The foregoing evidence should close the chapter on whether the IFIs, in particular the two Bretton Woods ‘sisters’, are aligned with US foreign policy objectives and whether their policy advice can be agenda-driven.
It is designed to avoid introspection, or to accept culpability and responsibility for poor policy choices over a protracted period, and instead shift the blame entirely to external agents and exogenous shocks.
A corollary to the conventional wisdom in the country regarding the BWIs is that the loans taken by Pakistan over the decades from these institutions are ‘odious’, since they were ‘forced’ onto the country.This is completely disingenuous as project loans from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank etc have helped finance the construction
Here we discuss Pakistan’s blue economy, including its underutilisation. How can decision-makers and key players tap this economy’s potential for a self-sufficient and sustainable Pakistan,
fledgling
has ennobled and honoured mankind with special rights
Though human beings have been given a modicum of soul-related knowledge, they are considered to be the crown of creation
The body is material, limited in time, space and subject to the vicissitudes of life.
. The poor and other helpless and vulnerable people are treated cruelly and their rights are usurped; thus we still hear painful stories of servitude, forced and compulsory labour, human trafficking etc. The violation of human rights seems rampant; those who possess power — material or physical — often suppress and oppress the powerless.
But the prejudices and inequities that have plagued humanity in the past continue to exist and are responsible for untold suffering
Since primitive times, human history is replete with events mentioning the violation of human rights on the basis of religion, caste, creed, colour etc
factionalised
Economy that appears to be insolvent, but sustained by a huge undocumented sector that makes a mockery of formal policy regimes. And this inherently volatile political economy generates windfall gains for the rich and powerful while condemning the mass of working people to violence, economic insecurity and repression.
Many commentators have argued that the days of easy money are now over, and that Pakistan cannot continue to rely on rentier logics — including war and ‘counterterrorism’ — to sustain a bloated national security apparatus.
Peshawar was on the frontline of the US and Saudi-backed ‘jihad’ in the 1980s, and then also on the frontline of the ‘war on terror’ through the first two decades of this century. The Pakistani state (read: establishment) garnered tens of billions in American military aid in both eras. The people of the city have remained expendable pawns as the dollars have not stopped.
Strategic games generate substantial opportunities to make money, private American defence contractors allegedly working in tandem with the Pentagon showing the way to those of their ilk globally.
On the one hand is the massive economic clout of foreign patrons of the religious right, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. They have pumped money into formal institutions like seminaries and sections of the media propagating a particular religious worldview.
The Americans have come and gone. But the establishment’s desire for strategic depth in Afghanistan and its weaponisation of religion in society and politics appears to be intact. It is systematic and not just about faith as ideology or social and political control. There are economic interests too.
It has now been over seven years since the APS attack, an unprecedented tragedy which triggered resounding cries of ‘No more!’. But the people of Peshawar remain on the frontline of a grisly, violent conflict in which even the principal antagonists remain nebulous.
Hence the peculiar nature of the school curriculum designed to disable critical thinking, the surfeit of moral teachings extolling obedience to authority, and the propagation of narratives that project enemies in every corner.
The impoverishment of citizens has cascading downstream effects that buy short-term relief while incubating long-term damage.
That is ensured by crushing unions and closing eyes to the depredations of contract labour
profligate state
In effect, the state is existing to oppress citizens while the nation exists to be pawned to creditors.
Take democracy. Everyone is aware that the facade has masked authoritarian rule
inanimate
They have widened now to the point that the structure is wobbling.
. It is clear that the Sharif family’s penchant for appointing family members to key positions is unsettling to some in the party
Given his role and close association with the senior-most leadership, it was jarring that, when the PDM came to power and Shehbaz Sharif became PM, Mr Abbasi did not take a cabinet position or portfolio
These fissures have not appeared out of nowhere
For a party that has consistently avoided facing harsh truths when it comes to its everlasting internal power politics, Mr Abbasi’s bowing out has further muddied the waters.
Many commentators have argued that the days of easy money are now over, and that Pakistan cannot continue to rely on rentier logics — including war and ‘counterterrorism’ — to sustain a bloated national security apparatus.
Many commentators have argued that the days of easy money are now over, and that Pakistan cannot continue to rely on rentier logics — including war and ‘counterterrorism’ — to sustain a bloated national security apparatus.
The Pakistani state (read: establishment) garnered tens of billions in American military aid in both eras. The people of the city have remained expendable pawns as the dollars have not stopped.
Strategic games generate substantial opportunities to make money, private American defence contractors allegedly working in tandem with the Pentagon showing the way to those of their ilk globally.
On the one hand is the massive economic clout of foreign patrons of the religious right, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. They have pumped money into formal institutions like seminaries and sections of the media propagating a particular religious worldview.
weaponisation of religion in society and politics appears to be intact.
It has now been over seven years since the APS attack, an unprecedented tragedy which triggered resounding cries of ‘No more!’. But the people of Peshawar remain on the frontline of a grisly, violent conflict in which even the principal antagonists remain nebulous.
galling reminder
The response of Pakistani officialdom was predictable
Dubious: Such underhand dealings have earned the country the dubious distinction of being the epicentre of militancy.
Solemn: Solemn declarations cannot be a substitute for actions.
Tangible: consequently, there has been a tangible escalation in terrorist attacks in Balochistan in recent months.
Ripple: rippled the provincial administration.
Brazen: The attacks have been getting more brazen in recent weeks
Toll: taking a huge toll on lives
Tenous: tenuous ceasefire
appeasement
public uproar
The emerging nexus of transnational militant groups has rendered the situation more alarming.
Ferocity: TERROR has struck with renewed ferocity
They turned out instead to be absurdly inflated. Russian military adventurism has come a cropper on almost every front,
Relented
It also does not want to be singled out as a stumbling block in Western assistance for Kyiv’s resistance. Last week, it agreed to supply 14 of its coveted Leopards, in “lockstep” with allies such as Poland, the UK and US.
impugned
through a legally constituted platform in order to effectively quell the threat of the burgeoning TTP insurgency in KP that threatens to spill into other parts of the country.
prominence as hostile states increasingly caused ruptures in rival countries by deploying proxies linked to local issues.
In the past, the police leadership felt that controlling terrorism and insurgency was not within the ambit of police responsibility.
We are all confident that our armed forces, with their exemplary record of vanquishing the TTP in the recent past, have the will and capacity to decimate these elements and restore peace.
A besieged federal coalition government is petrified and unable to confront and tackle this challenge.
These acts of terror have engendered a sense of insecurity, with negative ramifications for a country beset with economic woes and political instability
The last few weeks have witnessed audacious attacks on KP police stations
Undeterred
extortion money
To underscore their nefarious intentions,
culminated in
The government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which has already been supplying plenty of military aid to Ukraine, much of it surreptitiously, finally caved in last week after relentless bullying by its Nato allies
Eventually, there will be elections, but any interference from other institutions would mean that the results will want legitimacy or permanence.
ample proof of the fact
. The vagaries of climate change and glacial melt
Where the rains once provided respite they now bring only more misery and destroy all that lies in the paths of rivers.
The middle class writes articles such as this one, accursed with the unwanted gift of knowing that things are not about to get better, that a country whose wealthy pay no taxes, whose politicians are so deeply addicted to grift a
relentless
It is distressing to think how the auxiliary businesses that rely on the mills would also be affected.
The current political set-up provides little hope for those who would like a return to some semblance of stability
burnout but grouchiness.
oblique acknowledgement
litmus test
Gen Z
well-nigh
depreciate
The reality is the US and Pakistan do have interests that are enduring.
Hubris
Vaulting Ambition
Imbecility
Grotesqueness of World War I
To reiterate to contemporary generations: war is horrific.
Political traction
Gamut of issues from communal harmony to big corruption.
Lent credence
Ostensibly out
And for these prosaic reasons, doubting Thomases like myself find it hard to believe the technos can be much of a solution.
politically-beleaguered
sundry
par excellence
disillusioned
forbearance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxcBdFZPXaQ&list=PLxDogfw2NykMx-qB8UGr9edtQ20QVU8Ib
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRF1HnwQB9Y&list=PLF5U6oxkj08fZbyNgF323V3frNbd0p49W
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8OaksDW5_Q&list=PLZu8gApcEQN6WrKr0nkeQ3923j9JHmgR4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbcbmfX-4nc&list=PL2pujzRvzWOaWdMOYZX7cqrDilnifhpo0
Least Dense Planet: Saturn
Mania of stealing things is known as?
CEPEC has how many special Economic zones (9)
In the 1970 election main political parties were?
Abu Huraira accepted Islam in the year of? (7th year (628)
D5zoWY2jcjko7Xt4PBCNZqL9EQtPFbmSdd
What is the length of the Great Wall of China? (3400 KM)
Who is the founder of the scout movement? (Robert Baden Powell)
(Rabi crop of 1982-83) In Pakistan, Ushr began to be collected from the?
How many Sahifay were revealed to Hazrat Idrees (AS)? 30
The "Before Scandal" occurred in?
West Indies consists of how many islands?(1200) 13 ind states caribiab
Kazi Nazrul Islam is the national poet of?(Bangladesh)
Faiz Ahmed Faiz died in #Lahore on November 20, 1984,
Who proposed the "Big Bang Theory"? (George Lemaitre)
The opposite meaning of Mendacity is? (Truthfulness)
The opposite meaning of smear is? (polish)
The opposite meaning of tautology? (brevity)
The opposite meaning of wile is? (artlessness)The opposite meaning of wile is? (artlessness)
The opposite meaning of obscene is? (decent)
The opposite meaning of pusillanimity is? (magnanimity)
The opposite meaning of reticence is? (Frankness)
A similar meaning of listless is? (Indifferent)
A similar meaning of maiming is? (Lame)
he similar meaning of nugatory? (Trifling) (1846)
The similar meaning of Egotism?
(self-conceit)
The similar meaning or jeer?
(scoff)
The similar meaning of imperceptible?
(subtle)
The opposite meaning of flippant?
(Considerable)
The opposite meaning of calibre?
(inability)
The opposite meaning of Blush?
(Effrontery)
The opposite meaning of Acerbity?
(Gentleness)
The opposite meaning of Adage?
(Harangue)
The cash nuclear plant was built with the help of?
(China)
The similar meaning of obstreperous?
The similar meaning of inimitable?
The similar meaning of paramount?
The similar meaning of reprieve?
Before reunification, Germany was divided between the Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany; commonly known as West Germany) and the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic; commonly known as East Germany).
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