DOCSLIB.ORG

Current Affairs December - 2017

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Current Affairs December - 2017 CSS - CURRENT AFFAIRS DECEMBER - 2017 Compiled, Articles, Editorials, Opinion & News for the Month of December - 2017 1/5/2018 THE CSS POINT COMPILER: ABUDULLAH MEMON WWW.THECSSPOINT.COM | WWW.CSSMENTOR.COM | WWW.CSSBOOKS.NET DOWNLOAD CSS Notes, Books, MCQs, Magazines www.thecsspoint.com Download CSS Notes Download CSS Books Download CSS Magazines Download CSS MCQs Download CSS Past Papers The CSS Point, Pakistan’s The Best Online FREE Web source for All CSS Aspirants. Email: [email protected] BUY CSS / PMS / NTS & GENERAL KNOWLEDGE BOOKS ONLINE CASH ON DELIVERY ALL OVER PAKISTAN Visit Now: WWW.CSSBOOKS.NET For Oder & Inquiry Call/SMS/WhatsApp 0333 6042057 – 0726 540316 International Relations By Parkash Chander 31s Edition For Order: Call/SMS 03336042057 For Order Call/SMS: 03336042057 December 2017 Table of Contents PAKISTAN Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Relations By Shahid M Amin ..................................................................................... 8 Towards Load-Shedding Free Pakistan | Editorial ...................................................................................... 11 Trilateral Talks | Editorial ............................................................................................................................ 13 Delicate Pakistan-US Relations By Talat Masood ....................................................................................... 14 Terrorism: A Geopolitical Malaise By Mohsin Raza Malik .......................................................................... 17 US Needs to Change Mindset By Muhammad Usman ............................................................................... 21 Pakistan-China Ties In Focus By Khalid Saleem........................................................................................... 23 Pakistan Dismisses India’s Stance on Jadhav in ICJ By Hasnaat Mailk ........................................................ 26 The Pakistan Phobia in India By Javaid Iqbal Bhat ...................................................................................... 28 Russia Supports Pakistan’s Bid to Join Elite Nuclear Trading Club ............................................................. 31 Pak-Afghan relations: yet another round of optimism by Imtiaz Gul ......................................................... 34 As history proves, presidents will come and go, but Pakistan’s relationship with the US will always hang by a thread By Sarah Alvi ............................................................................................................................ 37 Policy of Full Spectrum Deterrence by Beenish altaf .................................................................................. 42 IT in Pakistan: challenges and solutions by Syed Hassan Murtaza ............................................................. 44 A Great Leader of A Great Nation By Imtiaz Rafi Butt ................................................................................ 48 Can Pakistan Sideline the US and Pursue an Independent Foreign Policy? By Umair Jamal ...................... 51 Can 2018 Be Any Different? By Talat Masood ............................................................................................ 54 India Accusation Of Disrespect | Editorial .................................................................................................. 57 ECONOMY Iran-Pakistan Ties: Impact on CPEC By Asia Maqsood ................................................................................ 59 Rupee’s Devaluation Dilemma | Editorial................................................................................................... 62 Pakistan’s Economic Promise By Munir Akram .......................................................................................... 63 Tehran won’t allow India to use Chabahar port to undermine Pakistan, say Iranian diplomats By Kamran Yousaf .......................................................................................................................................................... 67 Fiscal Outcome 1st Quarter, 2017-18 By Dr Hafiz A Pasha ......................................................................... 69 CPEC: The Long-Term Plan by Ahsan Iqbal ................................................................................................. 73 Yuan Proposal Puzzles Financial Circles By Khurram Husain ...................................................................... 77 Outlook Uncertain | Editorial ..................................................................................................................... 80 6 Buy CSS Books online as Cash on Delivery http://cssbooks.net Call/SMS 03336042057 December 2017 CPEC, SCO Side By Side | Editorial .............................................................................................................. 81 EDUCATION Higher Education: The glass Ceiling By Irum Maqbool ............................................................................... 83 Higher Purposes of a University Education By Dr S Zulfiqar Gilani ............................................................. 86 Uniform System of Education For Pakistan By Abdul Hadi Imran .............................................................. 88 Quality of Literature Counts, Not Language By Farrukh Kamrani............................................................... 92 Education Crisis | Editorial .......................................................................................................................... 95 WORLD What We Really Know About North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons By Siegfried S. Hecker ............................. 97 The Jerusalem Decision | Editorial ........................................................................................................... 103 Concluded War Against IS? | Editorial ...................................................................................................... 105 Time for OIC to act | Editorial ................................................................................................................... 106 Russian Advice For India | Editorial .......................................................................................................... 107 Putin’s Plan For Syria By Dmitri Trenin ..................................................................................................... 108 How America Became An Imperial Power By Dr. Syed Amir .................................................................... 112 Trump, Jerusalem and the OIC Summit by Sajjad Haider ......................................................................... 117 Palestine and peace by Ashraf Jehangir Qazi ............................................................................................ 119 Trump’s Afghan policy and ground realities by Mohammad Jamil .......................................................... 122 Another US Policy Flip-Flop | Editorial ..................................................................................................... 125 Climate Change: A Soft Threat By Zile Huma ............................................................................................ 126 USA Against The World | Editorial ............................................................................................................ 129 America Is Heading for an Unprecedented Constitutional Crisis By Max Boot ........................................ 131 Finding Balance in KSA-Iran Tussle By Junaid Ali Malik ............................................................................ 135 US Isolates Itself | Editorial ....................................................................................................................... 137 Middle East in 2018: A look at Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Syria and Iraq .................................................... 138 The United States Should Resolve to Avoid War With North Korea in 2018 By Colin Kahl ...................... 143 ‘America First’? So Far, Trump’s Foreign Policy Mostly Puts America Last. By Aaron David Miller and Richard Sokolsky ....................................................................................................................................... 149 7 Buy CSS Books online as Cash on Delivery http://cssbooks.net Call/SMS 03336042057 December 2017 PAKISTAN Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Relations By Shahid M Amin MAINTAINING close friendship with Saudi Arabia has long been a pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy. No doubt, Pakistan has friendly relations with many countries in the world. In the Muslim world, relations with Turkey eg have been exemplary. However, friendship with Saudi Arabia covers strategic, military and economic interests of a magnitude not found in Pakistan’s relationship with any other country, except for China. The foundation for Pakistan’s friendship with Saudi Arabia is, of course, the Pakistani people’s strong attachment to Islam. They deeply respect Saudi Arabia as birthplace of Islam where its two holiest cities are located. Millions of Pakistanis visit Saudi Arabia each year for pilgrimage and other reasons. Since the emergence of Pakistan, close ties have existed between the two countries. Saudi Arabia supported Pakistan in the two wars with India in 1965 and 1971. It stood squarely behind Pakistan on the post-1971 War issues like return of PoWs and non-recognition of Bangladesh. It has always supported Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. When there was Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan in 1980, Pakistan
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pk1401mag Nussrah Issue 16 English.Pdf
    Nussrah Magazine Issue 16 January/ February 2014 – Rabi ul-Awwal/ Rabi uth-Thaanee 1435 AH Contents Editorial: The Real Internal Threat 01 Shaikh Ata ibn Khalil Abu Ar-Rashta: Tafseer: Al-Baqarah 92-96 02 Feature Article: Rabi ul-Awwal‘s Greatest Gift, RasulAllah (saw) 04 Naseer al-Islam Mehmood: The Betrayal of Islam and Muslims by the Armies 06 Role of the Ulema in the Establishment of the Khilafah State 08 Khalid Salahudeen: The Myth of a US Attack on Pakistan 12 Abid Mustafa- Pakistan Must Sever Ties with America for Future Economic Sustainability 18 Imran Khan- A New Jockey for America‘s Horse, Democracy 22 Martyrdom in Syria 25 Russian Foreign Minister Attacks the Khilafah 26 Q& A: The Stance of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Egypt 27 America Seeks A Permanent Presence Through Talks 35 Nussrah For Khilafah Bayyan Campaign 39 Price: Rs. 30/- Editorial The Real Internal Threat Our real internal threat is the substantial aggression, requiring US intervention. American presence within Pakistan. It is this Essentially, the United States was informing American presence which is the source of the the powers of the Old World that the intricate planning, huge funding and American continents were no longer open to sophisticated arms supply that allows the European influence, and that any effort to attacks on military and civilian targets. This is extend European political hegemony into the also why such attacks never target American New World would be considered by the assets, of which there are many on our soil, United States "as dangerous to our peace and but always target ours.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Pakistanonedge.Pdf
    Pakistan Project Report April 2013 Pakistan on the Edge Copyright © Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, 2013 Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses No.1, Development Enclave, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Delhi Cantt., New Delhi - 110 010 Tel. (91-11) 2671-7983 Fax.(91-11) 2615 4191 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.idsa.in ISBN: 978-93-82512-02-8 First Published: April 2013 Cover shows Data Ganj Baksh, popularly known as Data Durbar, a Sufi shrine in Lahore. It is the tomb of Syed Abul Hassan Bin Usman Bin Ali Al-Hajweri. The shrine was attacked by radical elements in July 2010. The photograph was taken in August 2010. Courtesy: Smruti S Pattanaik. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this Report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute or the Government of India. Published by: Magnum Books Pvt Ltd Registered Office: C-27-B, Gangotri Enclave Alaknanda, New Delhi-110 019 Tel.: +91-11-42143062, +91-9811097054 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.magnumbooks.org All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA). Contents Preface 5 Abbreviations 7 Introduction 9 Chapter 1 Political Scenario: The Emerging Trends Amit Julka, Ashok K. Behuria and Sushant Sareen 13 Chapter 2 Provinces: A Strained Federation Sushant Sareen and Ashok K. Behuria 29 Chapter 3 Militant Groups in Pakistan: New Coalition, Old Politics Amit Julka and Shamshad Ahmad Khan 41 Chapter 4 Continuing Religious Radicalism and Ever Widening Sectarian Divide P.
    [Show full text]
  • THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH SYSTEM in PAKISTAN the Pressure to Publish and Its Impact 26 Summary 27 03 RESEARCH and RELATED FUNDING 29
    knowledge platform KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM THE UNIVERSITY DR. NADEEM UL HAQUE MAHBOOB MAHMOOD SHAHBANO ABBAS RESEARCH SYSTEM ALI LODHI IN PAKISTAN BRITISH COUNCIL DR. MARYAM RAB CATHERINE SINCLAIR JONES THE UNIVERSITY A KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH RESEARCH SYSTEM THE BRITISH COUNCIL IN PAKISTAN IN PAKISTAN DR. NADEEM UL HAQUE MAHBOOB MAHMOOD SHAHBANO ABBAS ALI LODHI DR.MARYAM RAB CATHERINE SINCLAIR JONES Contents FOREWORD 1 INTRODUCTION 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 01 THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN PAKISTAN 11 02 LITERATURE REVIEW 21 Overview 22 HEC influence 23 The imperative to collaborate 24 The weakness of social sciences research 25 THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH SYSTEM IN PAKISTAN The pressure to publish and its impact 26 Summary 27 03 RESEARCH AND RELATED FUNDING 29 Overview 30 Government-linked research institutes 33 Pakistan science foundation 40 Industry cess-based funds 41 Donor funding 44 Other funding 47 Pathways to enhanced funding 48 04 DRIVERS OF RESEARCH DEMAND 53 Overview 54 Government demand 55 Business demand 60 Donor demand 65 Pathways to building demand 70 05 RESEARCH INCENTIVES AND MEASUREMENT 73 Overview 74 Community perspectives 77 Pathways to quality-oriented incentives and measurements 80 06 v RESEARCH CULTURE AND ITS DISCONTENTS 83 Overview 84 Research collaboration 92 07 Research practice 95 FACULTY AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPABILITIES 103 Overview 104 Faculty capabilities 108 Gender impact 113 Institutional capabilities 115 08 Pathways to building faculty and institutional capabilities 117 09 COMPARATIVE RESEARCH SYSTEMS
    [Show full text]
  • Accounting Signifiers, Political Discourse, Popular Resistance and Legal Identity During Pakistan Steel Mills Attempted Privatization
    Accounting signifiers, political discourse, popular resistance and legal identity during Pakistan Steel Mills attempted privatization Article (Accepted Version) Junaid Ashraf, Muhammad, Muhammad, Faiza and Hopper, Trevor (2019) Accounting signifiers, political discourse, popular resistance and legal identity during Pakistan Steel Mills attempted privatization. Critical Perspectives On Accounting, 60. pp. 18-43. ISSN 1045-2354 This version is available from Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/76638/ This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies and may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher’s version. Please see the URL above for details on accessing the published version. Copyright and reuse: Sussex Research Online is a digital repository of the research output of the University. Copyright and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. To the extent reasonable and practicable, the material made available in SRO has been checked for eligibility before being made available. Copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk Accounting signifiers, political discourse, popular resistance and legal identity during Pakistan Steel Mills attempted privatization Abstract Using the privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) as an empirical site and drawing on Laclau and Mouffe’s (1985) discourse theory, this paper traces the discursive struggle between two discourses on the valuation and privatization of PSM.
    [Show full text]
  • AIPS 1998 Newsletter
    Pakistan Studies News Newsletter of the American Institute of Pakistan Studies Fall 1998 POWER AND CIVIL SOCIETY Power and Civil Society in Pakistan by Anita Weiss A number of Pakistan-based and U.S.-based scholars have been participating in a project entitled "Power and Civil Society in Pakistan." Professor Anita M. Weiss (University of Oregon) and Dr. Zulfiqar Gilani (University of Peshawar, AIPS/PLS visitor, 1996), project coordinators, will also jointly edit the resulting volume. The task of the project is two-fold: 1) to understand historic relations of power and authority in a range of social relationships in Pakistan as a means to create a baseline understanding of traditional conceptions of power. While these vary somewhat by region, class and gender, ample common features exist to form a foundation of what can be termed "Pakistani society." The country's founders envisioned its civil society -- intermediate institutions in the Tocquevillean sense free from both church (i.e., mosque) and state, in effect operating as a bulwark against the state amassing unbridled power -- within a pluralistic framework. albeit initially providing room for a variety of interpretations of its founding principles and future directions, and 2) to grapple with understanding the causes behind the disintegration of a moral consensus within Pakistani civil society, with the ultimate objective of reconceptualizing development priorities. The project's focus is on shifting power relationships in various social domains as contributors examine how changing power dynamics are precipitating or responding to the erosion of existing local social contracts, and ways in which they are affecting the emergence of alternative contracts between the peoples of Pakistan.
    [Show full text]
  • 70 YEARS of DEVELOPMENT: the WAY FORWARD Research & News BulleN Contents
    OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2017 SDC SPECIAL BULLETIN Vol 24 No. 4 70 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT: THE WAY FORWARD Research & News Bullen Contents SDPI's 20th Sustainable Development Conference ............................................................................................... 01 PLENARY TITLE: Development Beyond 70 and the Way Forward ...................................................................... 03 Session A-1: Improving Connectivity and Regional Integration in Central and South Asia .................................... 05 Session A2: Women's Access to Justice: Ending Violence Against Women (VAW) ................................................. 07 Session A-3: Challenges and Potential of SME Sector Financing in Pakistan: Way Forward through CPEC .......... 10 Session A-4: Political Economy of South Asia: Stories From Pakistan, India & Bangladesh .................................. 13 Session A-5: Harnessing private sector role in sustainable development .................................................................. 15 Session A-6: Pakistan @100: Envisioning Reforms to Accelerate and Sustain Inclusive Growth ........................... 17 Session A-7: Challenges of Moving from Diversity to Pluralism ............................................................................. 19 Session A-8: Structural Inequalities in South Asia: Issues, Challenges and Policy Solutions .................................. 22 Session A-9: Sustainable Development Goals: Keeping the Promise Alive .............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • PPPP, PML-N Lock Horns Over Senate Qhrs
    Daily Tuesday January 28, 2014 Vol: FN-002/14, Issue NO. 18 FROM FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS TO AN OPEN AND EFFECTIVE PARLIAMENT The Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production and The National Assembly Special Committee on Kashmir Education, Training & Standards in Higher Education are meeting and Standing Committee on National Health Services, today (Tuesday) at Parliament House. Regulations & Coordination Areas are meeting today (Tuesday) at Parliament House. Parliamentary Senate Information Question Hour NA meets sans briefed on 18th Amendment Prime Minister PPPP, PML-N lock foreign Tariq Iqbal particular in attending the Na- tional Assembly sessions and ISLAMABAD: The National As- taking the House into confi- remittances sembly Monday debated the de- dence on all issues/challenges teriorated law and order follow- Our Correspondent faced by the country. Many ing deadly terrorist attacks on observers believe that the horns over Senate QHrs ISLAMABAD: The Senate the personnel of paramilitary agenda of the House remained had been informed about forces and civilians in different President Asif Ali Zardari Salahudin Safdar incomplete due to the absence the steps being taken by parts of the country, including during his address to the ISLAMABAD: The Question Hours in the Upper House of of Prime Minister, as most of the government to increase Rawalpindi and Bannu, during Joint Session of the Parlia- Parliament witnessed rowdy scenes during the centennial ses- the ministers also take undue foreign remittances and the first month of New Year. ment on March 28, 2009 sion, as the opposition party PPPP and the government min- advantage of such a situation.
    [Show full text]
  • Editorials for the Month of December 2017
    Editorials for the Month of December 2017 Note: This is a complied work by the Team The CSS Point. The DAWN.COM is the owner of the content available in the document. This document is compiled to support css aspirants and This document is NOT FOR SALE. You may order this booklet and only printing and shipping cost will be incurred. Complied & Edited By Abdullah Memon (Online Content Manager) www.thecsspoint.com BUY CSS BOOKS ONLINE CASH ON DELIVERY ALL OVER PAKISTAN http://cssbooks.net ALL COMPULSORY AND OPTIONAL SUBJECTS BOOK FROM SINGLE POINT ORDER NOW 03336042057 - 03033884912 DOWNLOAD CSS Notes, Books, MCQs, Magazines www.thecsspoint.com Download CSS Notes Download CSS Books Download CSS Magazines Download CSS MCQs Download CSS Past Papers The CSS Point, Pakistan’s The Best Online FREE Web source for All CSS Aspirants. Email: [email protected] BUY CSS / PMS / NTS & GENERAL KNOWLEDGE BOOKS ONLINE CASH ON DELIVERY ALL OVER PAKISTAN Visit Now: WWW.CSSBOOKS.NET For Oder & Inquiry Call/SMS/WhatsApp 0333 6042057 – 0726 540316 International Relations By Parkash Chander 31s Edition For Order: Call/SMS 03336042057 For Order Call/SMS: 03336042057 December 2017 Table of Contents PPP at 50 ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Power surplus ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Musharraf’s balderdash .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Beautiful Tragedy of the Bhutto Dynasty
    THE BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDY OF THE BHUTTO DYNASTY Item type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Taub, Stefanie Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Downloaded 3-Aug-2017 09:11:03 Link to item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/193014 1 2 3 Abstract This paper will construct a biography of the lives of Benazir Bhutto and her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, before their ascension to political leadership of Pakistan in the hopes of better understanding what allowed Benazir to become prime minister. It will set out to prove that what allowed Benazir Bhutto to become the first female prime minister of a post colonial Muslim nation was a sequence of life events, her own character, unique education, the martyrdom of her father, and most importantly, the great role Zulfikar had upon her life as the person she loved and respected most. Assessment of Project Success I learned a great deal from writing this thesis on how to better research history; knowledge that I will undoubtedly take with me and apply in graduate school. I have never written a paper of this scope, depth, and length before, and I personally feel that I did quite well considering I have written almost a small masters thesis while still an undergraduate. As for the topic of Benazir Bhutto, I feel that I am familiar enough with the lives of her and father from writing this thesis that this would be something I could easily turn into a masters thesis if I chose to pursue and continue with this topic in graduate school.
    [Show full text]
  • The Idea of Pakistan by Stephen Philip Cohen
    00 1502-1 frontmatter 10/5/04 1:19 PM Page i the idea of pakistan This page intentionally left blank 00 1502-1 frontmatter 10/5/04 1:19 PM Page iii the idea of pakistan stephen philip cohen brookings institution press washington, d.c. 00 1502-1 frontmatter 10/5/04 1:19 PM Page iv Copyright © 2004 the brookings institution 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 www.brookings.edu All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data Cohen, Stephen P., 1936– The idea of Pakistan / Stephen P. Cohen. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-8157-1502-1 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Pakistan. I. Title. DS376.9.C63 2004 954.91—dc22 2004016553 987654321 The paper used in this publication meets minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials: ANSI Z39.48-1992. Cartography by Meridian Mapping Minneapolis, Minnesota Typeset in Sabon Composition by Cynthia Stock Silver Spring, Maryland Printed by R. R. Donnelley Harrisonburg, Virginia 00 1502-1 frontmatter 10/5/04 1:19 PM Page v CONTENTS Preface vii Introduction 1 one The Idea of Pakistan 15 two The State of Pakistan 39 three The Army’s Pakistan 97 four Political Pakistan 131 five Islamic Pakistan 161 six Regionalism and Separatism 201 seven Demographic, Educational, and Economic Prospects 231 eight Pakistan’s Futures 267 nine American Options 301 Notes 329 Index 369 00 1502-1 frontmatter 10/5/04 1:19 PM Page vi vi Contents MAPS Pakistan in 2004 xii The Subcontinent on the Eve of Islam, and Early Arab Inroads, 700–975 14 The Ghurid and Mamluk Dynasties, 1170–1290 and the Delhi Sultanate under the Khaljis and Tughluqs, 1290–1390 17 The Mughal Empire, 1556–1707 19 Choudhary Ramat Ali’s 1940 Plan for Pakistan 27 Pakistan in 1947 40 Pakistan in 1972 76 Languages of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Northwest India 209 Pakistan in Its Larger Regional Setting 300 00 1502-1 frontmatter 10/5/04 1:19 PM Page vii Preface It has taken me forty-four years to write this book—the length of time I have been studying Pakistan (and India).
    [Show full text]
  • Economic Growth of Pakistan Punjab: Historic Heritage and the Role Of
    Economic Prospects of Pakistani Punjab: Historic Heritage, Institutions and the Regional Dimension of Growth Beate Reszat During the last decades, the Pakistani economy has experienced dramatic ups and downs with the Punjab historically playing a key role in the country’s development. In analyzing its longer-term growth prospects three aspects have to be emphasised: First, history matters. This draws the attention to factors such as the region’s ancient role as hub between Central Asia and the Ganges valley, the influences of Islam and the colonial inheritance. Second, institutions matter as they set the frame for private economic activity. A third aspect is the regional dimension of growth. While the European experience has demonstrated the benefits of regional economic collaboration in particular in the early stages of development, in South Asian approaches Pakistan's neighbourly relations pose a challenge to multilateral cooperation. The Punjab's historic legacy offers several promising perspectives to overcome existing barriers and exploit the benefits of a shared cultural and institutional heritage. I. Introduction In autumn 2008, as this paper is written, news on the Pakistan economy worsen from month to month. There are industrial lay-offs and strikes, food riots, daily 12-hour nationwide power cuts, and a rapidly declining internal and external value of the Pakistan Rupee. With rising costs of imports of food, fertiliser and fuel for the fiscal year 2008 which ended June 30th the country’s current-account deficit was reaching a record high of an estimated 7.8 per cent of GDP. Growth is slowing, inflation accelerating to over 30 per cent and, 28 Economic Prospects of Pakistani Punjab at the same time, the government deficit is constantly widening.
    [Show full text]
  • PAKISTAN FOREIGN POLICY FORMULATION, 1947-65: An
    PAKISTAN FOREIGN POLICY FORMULATION, 1947-65: An analysis of institutional interaction between American policy making bodies and the Pakistan Army. By Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of History and Classics University of Edinburgh Year of submission: 2009 This thesis is dedicated to my Parents- my Papa Syed Maqsood Ali Pirzada and my lovely Ammi (late) Hasnain Khatoon. Both of them always wanted to see me at the zenith of my education. Their aspiration remained a confidence boost for my academic achievements. ii Abstract This thesis examines through the use of archives and oral evidence the role of the Pakistan Army in the context of Pakistan’s domestic politics and foreign policy. Its main purpose is to explore the autonomy of the Pakistan Army in shaping national and foreign policy between the years 1947-1965. Focusing on its independent relationship with three instruments of policy-making in the United States – the Department of State, the White House and the Pentagon – the thesis argues that the relationship between the Army and these policy-making bodies arose from a synergistic commonality of interests. The Americans needed a country on the periphery of the Soviet Union to contain Communism while the Pakistan Army needed US military support to check Indian regional military hegemonism in South Asia. This alliance was secured to the disadvantage of democratic political institutions of Pakistan. The Army, which became stronger as a result of US military and economic support, came progressively to dominate domestic politics. This led not only to weakened civilian governments in the period I am examining, but in 1958 to the military seizure of political control of the country itself.
    [Show full text]