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Simple Solutions for Pakistan

    “The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.” Bertrand Russell
A careful examination of contemporary Pakistan presents a bleak picture and objective analysts have been sounding alarms about Pakistan’s overall economic, social and political health for a while, but now, …

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How to solve Pakistan’s Problems

We all know Pakistan is facing serious challenges and regretfully, there are no simple solutions for these problems. So far, repeated experiments with democracy and dictatorships in the country have yielded nothing, but more failures and even more misery.
When Benazir returned to Pakistan to help steer the country in …

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American Elections and Pakistan

Pakistani community in America is watching the mid-term elections in the United States with fascination as for some of them, it is a great exercise in human freedom.
For this community, this election is also the source of anxiety because of its impact on Washington’s relationship with Islamabad.  Some argue that it …

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Farooque Ahmed's Arrest

There we go again.
Earlier today, law enforcement authorities arrested yet another terrorist in the making – a naturalized American of Pakistani origin, Farooque Ahmed for trying to help coordinate bombing at Washington’s Metro System, also known as the subway system. Once again, fortunately, this nut’s plot was …

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Pakistan's Failure

The strangely bizarre and comical launch of Musharraf’s so called Muslim League (or whatever name he is using) forced me to examine Pakistan. And, believe me, this time; I really looked hard not only at today’s Pakistan but also at its short, but awfully tumultuous history. And, it is extremely …

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A Message from Insanity

According to the New York Times, Pakistan’s military is maneuvering to remove the current government. This, according to the paper, is because of corruption and lack of proper response to the flood.
What is missing from the report is that once this government is gone, angels and superheroes are going …

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Flood & Aid to Pakistan

It is true Pakistan has been dealing with awful scenarios one after another since 1947, but at some point, the masses must take charge and work toward changing their destiny. Crisis or no crisis, people in Pakistan by now should have perfected, and if not perfected, at least gotten a …

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Will Anger Solve Anything?

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.
Mark Twain

It really is a grueling task to write about Pakistan because there is never anything encouraging to discuss. It is always an angry mob …

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Paksitan has done it again!

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.”
Saint Augustine
According to a report in Dawn, once again, Pakistanis have embarrassed themselves, and ironically enough, their struggling country the other day at Washington Dulles Airport by acting awfully.
Bravo.
It is unfortunate to note that …

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Forget the mosque at Ground Zero

Islam, like other religions, instructs its followers to first help protect and comfort those who are in trouble.  Therefore, it only makes sense that folks, especially those who are supporting the construction of a new mosque at Ground Zero abandon the mosque project and instead help the victims of horrendous …

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Will they choose wisely?

For my mental health, I never watch Pakistani television, be it state run or the so-called ‘private’ channels.  And if I am forced for whatever reason to put up with it for an hour or so, it is, and I am not exaggerating here, the most painful experience; an experience …

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Zardari is not the problem

I wish that people in Pakistan would wake up and realized that hating Zardari is not going to do any good. What needs to be done is that people from all across Pakistan come together, realistically and honestly look at the problems that the country is facing and trying to …

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Lahore Killings

If there was ever any doubt about Pakistan’s ability to survive as a country, the recent attacks in Lahore have once and for all settled the issue – Pakistan is a ticking time bomb with no way to unplug or stop the bomb from exploding.
And, even with this tragedy, …

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Times Square Attack – Pakistan's Role & Responsibility

Writing in Wall Street Journal, Sadanand Dhume asks the obvious question.
Why do Pakistan and the Pakistani diaspora churn out such a high proportion of the world’s terrorists? Indonesia has more Muslims than Pakistan. Turkey is geographically closer to the troubles of the Middle East. The governments of Iran and …

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Pakistani American's Failed Bombing

Another lunatic tried unsuccessfully to explode a bomb in New York. Thank God he failed, but his failure has left all of us thinking, once again, what the heck is going on?
As for as we know,  the alleged Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad had no reason to kill innocent civilians, but after …

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About the Author

Bilal Qureshi

Bilal Qureshi is a resident of Washington, DC, so it is only natural that he is tremendously interested in politics. He is also fascinated by the relationship between Pakistan, the country of his birth, and the United States of America, his adopted homeland. Therefore, he makes every effort to read major newspapers in Pakistan and what is being said about Washington, while staying fully alert to the analysis and the news being reported in the American press about Pakistan. After finishing graduate school, he started using his free time to write to various papers in Pakistan in an effort to clarify whatever misconceptions he noticed in the press, especially about the United States. This pastime became a passion after his letters were published in Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and his writing became more frequent and longer. Now, he is here, writing a blog about Pakistan managed by Foreign Policy Association.

Areas of Focus:
Taliban; US-Pakistan Relations; Culture and Society

Contact

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