Pakistan

Dawn.com invites its readers to debate current affairs in this forum. By now, most Pakistanis have seen the video of a teenaged girl being flogged by Taliban militants in Swat. The footage, captured on a mobile phone, has angered the nation and provoked condemnation and calls for inquiries among government circles. That said, there are some elements, such as a leader of the Awami National Party, who claim the video release is aimed at undermining...

Dawn.com invites its readers to debate current affairs in this forum. On Tuesday, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud claimed responsibility for the attack on the Manawan police academy and threatened more such assaults in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the US. He stated that President Asif Zardari was ‘following US policies and allowing drone attacks’ and vowed that the Taliban would continue to commits act of terror until missile attacks...

Dawn.com invites its readers to debate current affairs in this forum. On Monday, terrorists used machine guns and grenades to launch a savage attack on a police training academy in Manawan, leaving 15 policemen dead and 150 injured. Eyewitness accounts estimate some 20 militants carried out the attack and that at least 11 explosions were heard through the course of the morning. This attack comes on the heels of the militant attack against the Sri...

Dawn.com invites its readers to debate current affairs in this forum. On Friday, US President Barack Obama unveiled a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan. This time, the US is planning on having a way out. The strategy relies on more US forces on the ground, an expansion of Kabul’s security forces, cooperation with ‘reconcilable‘ insurgents in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a significant boost in civilian aid on both sides...

Dawn.com invites its readers to debate current affairs in this forum. The Pakistan Day meeting between PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has led to amiable photo-ops and assurances of mutual respect. But any talk of reconciliation remains tentative, as Sharif has slapped down several conditions. He has demanded the implementation of the Charter of Democracy, details of which can be found here. Although the PPP has expressed...