Valleys and Valour

  A FRACTURED POLITY AND UNMAKING OF PAKISTAN “ The unmaking of Pakistan is the curious tale of two tails that wag the dog! The first allusion is to the Army that owns Pakistan, while the second is this very army being ensnared by the Jihadist culture adopted and promoted by it to serve its political interests .” - Col RS Sidhu Three Constants of Pakistan Pakistan, the ‘ land of the pure’ , was born in 1947 after India was partitioned on religious lines by the British empire, the erstwhile colonial rulers. Unlike India, which adopted a democratic form of governance, Pakistan veered off from the democratic path spelled out by its founders owing to the frequent political interventions by its army. Pakistan, under the overbearing influence of its army, has espoused three constants in its external outlook: - -           -  Its acquiescence in being the watchdog of geopolitical interests of extra-regional powers in South Asia region , the UK and US earlier on, and now China.

                  The Image Reflecting Flavour of the Year 2024                          REFLECTIONS 2023 & NEW YEAR GREETINGS 2024 “ The most concerning finding of the spreading war clouds from Ukraine to West Asia, South Asia, extending to South China Sea, and Taiwan, are the emerging links that point to a joint Sino-Russia challenge to the US led West Bloc geopolitical supremacy .” – Col RS Sidhu  The ‘ Year of 2023 ’  lived up to its billing of being the year of human follies, battlefield bullies, economic uncertainties, and natural catastrophes. Even scientific advancements, such as AI enabled autonomous weapon systems, were of a nature that gave cause for greater concern than hope and excitement. The ongoing battle for global supremacy between China-Russia combine and the US led Western alliance is getting fiercer. Militarily, the stalemated Russian ‘ Special Military Operation ’ in Ukraine can now be seen for what it is; an opening chess ‘ Queen’s Gambit ’  which has tied do