Blood and fire in Gaza

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

After 11 days of blood and fire, the fighting in Gaza has stopped. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into force last week, ending the devastating exchange of bombing and rocket attacks that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and brought life in much of Israel to a standstill.

The truce was arranged by Egypt, following mounting international pressure to stem the bloodshed which erupted on May 10. The past two weeks have seen some of the worst violence in the region since the 2014 war in Gaza, with militants launching missiles and Israel pounding the blockaded coastal strip with heavy fire.

The entire world has heaved a sigh of relief and welcomed the end to the deadly dance of death in Gaza. The OIC, Arab League and the UN Secretary General have expressed satisfaction over the peace agreement. Speaking on behalf of Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has expressed the hope that the ceasefire would be a first step towards establishing durable peace in Palestine.

A new vision of peace in South Asia

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

In the context of a fast-changing regional scenario and new moves in the global power game, Pakistan has projected a new vision of peace in South Asia which promises to usher in a new era of harmonious relations among neighbouring states. The ‘Islamabad Security Dialogue’ (ISD) recently held in the Federal Capital successfully projected Pakistan’s “new strategic direction based on a comprehensive security framework” encompassing regional connectivity and development partnerships across the region. The conclave was important for charting a new path for the realisation of Pakistan’s regional and global aspirations for peace and development.

Modi’s India: An intolerant Hindu state

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

The liberal, secular India of Nehru and Gandhi is no more. Under the Modi-led BJP government, India is fast becoming a racist and fascist Hindu nationalist society in which there is no democratic dissent. The Hindutva brigade is especially targeting Muslims and other minorities in order to reduce them to the status of second-class citizens.

According to the latest global survey, India has become one of the world’s least free democracies. The Freedom in the World 2020 report ranks India at the 83rd position, along with Timor-Leste and Senegal. This is near the bottom of the list of countries categorised as “Free”, with only Tunisia receiving a lower score. India’s score fell by four points to 71, the worst decline among the world’s 25 largest democracies this year.

Farmers’ movement; for all oppressed people of India

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

The message is loud and clear for Modi. Keeping their spirits high, the protesting farmers are up in arms against the high-handed policy of the RSS-dominated BJP government. Though it’s an uneasy calm that now prevails after violence erupted in Delhi on January 26 during farmers’ agitation against three farm laws brought in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government, the situation is still volatile and explosive.

The overwhelming support to the farmers’ movement given by scores of civil society groups as well as minorities in India is not an ordinary phenomenon. It is something unprecedented and historic. The way the trade unions, organisations of workers, students, women, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, Christians, and Indian NGOs have joined hands with the farmers shows that the movement has now turned into a “Mass Movement of the Oppressed People” against the imperialist rulers of India.

The rising tide of fascism in India

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

There has never been a dearth of reports by international bodies showing how cruelly and callously the minorities in India are being persecuted by the fascist government of Premier Narendra Modi. The latest in the series are two more reports highlighting the ravages of Hindutva, a racist doctrine pursued by the right-wing ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is targeting vulnerable sections of an already unequal Indian society.

According to the first report titled “Human Freedom Index 2020” India has been placed at the 111th spot out of 162 countries, down by 17 spots from last year. Pertinent to note is the fact that the report, a worldwide ranking of civil, economic and personal freedoms, had ranked India 94 on the index in 2019.

Pulwama and the ugly face of Modi’s Hindutva regime

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

It is now all out in the open. Irrefutable documentary evidence has surfaced proving that the Pulwama terrorist incident in February, 2019 and the subsequent Balakot false-flag operation, which Indian Prime Minister Modi exploited to defame Pakistan and win the elections, were actually planned by Modi himself and executed by his henchman Home Minister Amit Shah.

The leaked Whatsapp chats between India’s Republic TV Chief Arnab Goswami and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) chief executive Partho Dasgupta have revealed that the former had prior knowledge, not only of the Pulwama terror attack, but also of New Delhi’s conspiracy to conduct airstrikes against Pakistan days before they took place.

Jitters in New Delhi’s corridors of power

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

With President Trump having lost the election, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and trepidation in the corridors of power in New Delhi.

The reasons are obvious. Indian PM Modi invested heavily in Trump’s election campaign. Over the last four years, a close personal chemistry developed between President Trump and PM Modi which became a defining feature of US-India relations. Modi held a royal ‘Namaste Trump’ reception when he visited India, while at the “Howdy Modi” rally in Texas in September 2019, Trump hailed Modi as one of “America’s greatest, most devoted and most loyal friends”.

How the world fared in 2020

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

With the pandemic year 2020 behind us, the people around the world now pin their hopes on the year 2021 opening a new chapter of peace, tranquillity and prosperity for all.

2020 proved an awfully turbulent year for the world. Many an earthshaking event occurring across the globe completely changed not only the course of history, but also the way people live and work. From a deadly corona pandemic to a global movement for racial justice, the year 2020 witnessed a fair share of many world-shifting developments, including the China-India standoff, the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict and recognition of Israel by some Arab countries.

Whither national politics?

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

While the coronavirus shows no signs of subsiding, the confrontation between the government and opposition keeps heating up. It is clear that the PDM’s campaign may not bring down the government but it is sure to give a dangerous new boost to the pandemic’s second wave.

The PML-N currently being dominated by Maryam Nawaz seems to be in a combative mood. With every passing week her tone is becoming shriller and her behaviour more aggressive. While addressing the PML-N social media activists in Lahore last week, she threatened the government with dire consequences if it did not resign voluntarily by the end of this month. She said things had come to a tipping point and PDM will shake up the system with mass resignations followed by a long march towards Islamabad.

A diplomatic victory for Pakistan

By Dr Jumma Khan Marri

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Niamey Niger, has unanimously adopted a resolution condemning India’s illegal action of revoking Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) autonomous status and its various steps to change the demography of the Muslim-majority region. In a Resolution adopted unanimously by the 47th Session of the OIC in Niamey, the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) reaffirmed its strong support for the Kashmir cause. The OIC in its resolution also categorically rejected illegal and unilateral actions taken by the Indian government in occupied territory since August 5, 2019.