Valleys and Valour

  A FRACTURED POLITY AND UNMAKING OF PAKISTAN PART II - MANAGING THE UNMAKING   “The feeling of brouhaha that the very thought of breakup of Pakistan generates within the Indian polity, while truly symptomatic of the great degree of bitterness between the two rivals, may not be so vociferous, were the nuances of pitfalls galore in managing this unravelling are clearly understood.” – Col RS Sidhu   Successfully managing the probable unmaking of Pakistan definitely necessitates a cool headed approach. The State of Pakistan Pakistan is presently at the most vulnerable stage in its short history of 77 years, deemed to be, more or less, a failed state, with a failed economy, kept afloat on external loans. Against an annual GDP of US $ 340 billion, Pakistan has an external debt of US $ 130 billion, with foreign currency reserves worth US $ 13 billion, barely adequate to cover two months of critical imports, and an inflation rate fluctuating between 23% to 36%.   The genesi

  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

  REALPOLITIK PERSPECTIVE ON THE BYZANTINE GAZA CONFLAGRATION   “Green mixed with red creates yellow, one of the most dynamic colour with unique power to induce contradictory vibrations that can strengthen or weaken the environment by stimulating relations or sowing betrayal and danger . The forging of a geopolitical partnership between a ‘Red’ China with a ‘Green’ Iran emits ominous portends.” – Col RS Sidhu “It is commonsense in byzantine conflicts that the affected population be most wary of being reduced to pawns in the power games of friends and foes alike, for the only fate that awaits pawns is to be sacrificed at the altar of the God of War.” – Col RS Sidhu   Battle of Perception The past half a century has spawned nearly a hundred inter and intra state wars, conflicts, and insurrections caused by irredentist ideology, religious bigotry, ethnic persecution, and plain rapaciousness. The violence during this period has resulted in enforced change of close to fifty int