The major focus of the policy against extremism ought to be on structural causes like lack of religious tolerance, government failures and political, economic, and social marginalisation By Farooq Yousaf Counter-terror and military operations have remained a major part of Pakistan’s security policy since 2004. Yet, even with such a heavy-handed focus on security, PakistanContinue reading “An effective CVE policy needed for Pakistan – Farooq Yousaf”
Category Archives: Blog
Why Israel still remains a ‘tricky’ subject in Pakistan
Pakistani PM Imran Khan, while speaking an at Asia Society event, was unequivocal in his stance when asked about Pakistan possibly establishing diplomatic ties with Israel. Responding to a question whether Pakistan was shifting its foreign policy towards Israel, the Pakistani PM said: Pakistan has a very straightforward position. It was our founder of PakistanContinue reading “Why Israel still remains a ‘tricky’ subject in Pakistan”
Need for better Australia Pakistan ties – Farooq Yousaf
Source: DailyTimes ‘CHOGM chance to push India as counter to China in the Pacific’, was the headline of an opinion piece published in The Australian — one of the most read newspapers in Australia — on 18 April 2018. This headline suggested the duality of the current policy shift within Australia, which is warming upContinue reading “Need for better Australia Pakistan ties – Farooq Yousaf”
The democratic ramifications of Nawaz Sharif’s ousting
By: Farooq Yousaf, University of Newcastle On 28 July, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified the now former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from public office. Sharif and his family have been embroiled in a legal battle since their names appeared in the infamous Panama Papers in April 2016. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi — also a member ofContinue reading “The democratic ramifications of Nawaz Sharif’s ousting”
Parachinar cries, yet no one listens – Farooq Yousaf
Source: Daily Times Pakistan yesterday marked a grim start to Eid, mainly due to a deadly inferno killing more than 150 people in Bahawalpur. It was hard to ignore and also digest images of charred bodies of poor people merely hoping to collect a litre or two of free fuel. It was equally sad to learnContinue reading “Parachinar cries, yet no one listens – Farooq Yousaf”
Pakistan: an ‘overdeveloped’ post-colonial state – Farooq Yousaf
Source: Daily Times When it comes to political debates and discourse, Pakistanis, like many other nations, believe that they know just about everything regarding the state of affairs and politics in their country. Very little, or no, attention is given to the pre-partition political past, and how the country ended up with weak democratic structures.Continue reading “Pakistan: an ‘overdeveloped’ post-colonial state – Farooq Yousaf”
Pakistan’s Pashtun Profiling – Farooq Yousaf
Source : The Diplomat When Donald Trump recently announced a partial ban on the entry of Muslims from certain countries, the Pakistani mainstream media, as well as political elites, engaged in scathing critiques of the Trump administration. Yet within a matter of days, Pakistan has gone one step ahead of Trump. It is not onlyContinue reading “Pakistan’s Pashtun Profiling – Farooq Yousaf”
Who defines Violent Non-State Actors in international politics?
Farooq Yousaf Source: The Nation December 14, 2016, witnessed a surprising unfolding of events in Syria, with the Assad forces declaring a victory over the rebel groups in Eastern Aleppo. There were mixed scenes of misery and jubilation on the social and electronic media, with majority of the social media focused on the alleged brutalityContinue reading “Who defines Violent Non-State Actors in international politics?”
‘Collective Punishment’ in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas – Farooq Yousaf
Source: The Diplomat On November 1, following the death of a Pakistan Army major, the political agent ordered the demolition of a two-story market in Wana, South Waziristan, citing a clause of collective responsibility and punishment in the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). This was yet another example of a constitutional dilemma that Pakistan is currentlyContinue reading “‘Collective Punishment’ in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas – Farooq Yousaf”
Afghanistan’s Corruption Dilemma
(Image Credit – Bay Ismoyo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images) Farooq Yousaf October 7, this year, marked 15 years of US invasion of Afghanistan and its – still ongoing – war on terror post 9/11 attacks. With little, or no, progress over the years, the situation on ground in Afghanistan remains bleak in terms of security and economy.Continue reading “Afghanistan’s Corruption Dilemma”
Dr Farooq Yousaf 