The Pakistani Spectator

A Candid Blog

Author Archive

Fractious FATA

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 25th, 2008 • Category: Politics

The truth is that Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have always remained some “other” part for the rest of the Pakistanis and every successive government whether civilian or military has never even tried to change the status of these areas, and to add petrol to the fire, this area was roughly utilized in the Afghan […]



Deadline to NWFP Government By Talibans

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 23rd, 2008 • Category: Politics

Spokesman of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Maulvi Muhammad Umar said the Taliban were waiting for further instructions from Baitullah Mahsud as the deadline to the Awami National Party’s Government in NWFP has ended.  What sort of instructions those would be? What else except of killing more innocent Muslims in suicide attacks and bomb blasts.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is asking […]



Woes of Small Investors in Karachi Stock Exchange

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 19th, 2008 • Category: Misc, Worth A Second Look

Stock exchanges are the reflection of the economy of any country. More efficient the stock markets, the more efficient the economy of a country is. Though government’s direct role in the stock exchanges is not approved, but it’s the sole responsible for the plight of the economy, which directly affects the stock markets.
The importance of […]



Defaming Dictatorship

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 19th, 2008 • Category: Politics

Who is the Prime Minister of Pakistan? Mangal Bagh, Baitullah Mehsud or Yousuf Raza Gillani?
I haven’t included the name of Asif Ali Zardari in the list, as he is the king maker, and want to remain in that capacity for the near future. Mangal Bagh and Baitullah Mehsud are proving much more capable than Yousuf […]



No New 9/11

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 16th, 2008 • Category: Politics

The option of negotiations with the Taliban is not bad, but they are useless with a very glaring and decisive prerequisite. The prerequisite of negotiations must be that Talibans should recognize and admit that there cannot be two parallel governments in the country, and then the negotiations should be held between the Pakistani government and […]



Faisalabad on Strike : Millions Suffering

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 12th, 2008 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look

Faisalabad is called as the Manchester of Pakistan, though there is no similarity or competition whatsoever. It never was, but at least prior to this week, small and large scale business was thriving in the city, and it is perhaps Pakistan’s only country with a pure business and industry outlook, and the city which contributes […]



Restive Doaba Hangu

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 12th, 2008 • Category: Politics

Hangu city is at the verge of the settled areas of NWFP and the tribal regions, and it’s adjoining city Thall is also of the same importance. On the Thall-Hangu road, there is a small serene village called as doaba, which is no more serene and calm, and a search operation for militants by the […]



Operation Sirat-e-Mustaqeem

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 8th, 2008 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look

After a week long operation Sirat-e-Mustaqeem in the Khyber Agency and the suburbs of Peshawar, what we have got in our hands is a suicide attack in the center of the Islamabad and political administration of Khyber Agency subduing in front of the Lashkar-e-Islam chief Mangal Bagh that curfew be lifted from the Bara and […]



Pakistan : Dictators’ Heaven

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 5th, 2008 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look

Nature, impotent and incompetent politicians, world powers, apathetic populace; all have their fair share of contributions in ensuring that Pakistan sees more uniformed rulers than the elected ones. The interesting thing is that during the realms of the dictators, things remained under the lid, and as soon as civilian regimes get a small window of […]



Ally or Lackey?

By Dr. Hassan Isfahani • Jul 5th, 2008 • Category: Politics

While Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik, former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani; all are busy in shooting statements to please the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher while they have shed their […]