The B-side

The B-side originally takes its root from being the lesser celebrated side of the now legendary 7-inch vinyl record. The B-side is the flipside, or a secondary song that often does not appear on a band’s LP. The B-side at Other Pakistan aims to do likewise and will in truth be the best side of Other Pakistan as it will include articles and posts from a wide variety of commentators on issues affecting Pakistan, with brief comment from moi. In time. it is hoped that the B-side will allow Other Pakistan to become a better forum of dialogue where a myriad of  Pakistani futures can be formulated without fear or favour.

2012 is a new year for Pakistan, yet it brings with it many of the same challenges that have dogged it for years. January 2012′s B-side looks at some of those challenges beginning with the most important challenge before Pakistan, that of extinguishing the fire that is Balochistan. An article by the great Professor Akbar Akhmed on Balochistan is a timely reminder to us all to act now to stop our endless blunders in Balochistan.

The second article is written on the coup that never materialised and is written by Wajahat S. Khan whilst the final article is one full of hope and is written by Shehrbano Taseer. January 2012′s B-side contents include the following:

  1. Is Pakistan Heading For Disaster in Balochistan by Professor AKBAR AHMED
  2. The Whispering Coup by WAJAHAT S.KHAN
  3. Pakistan is Beautiful- And Its Mine by SHEHRBANO TASEER

Balochistan is the focus for the firsr article written by the former Pakistani Ambassador and one of my heroes in Professor Akbar S. Ahmed.

Is Pakistan Heading For Disaster in Balochistan by Akbar Ahmed

The article is published on Al-Jazeera and can be read here.

WASIM VIEW- Professor Akbar Ahmed is a man very close to his heart as his article on the burning fire that is my beloved Balochistan. The article is a cry for help to all Pakistanis in our individual and collective capacities as well as the Pakistani state to extinguish the separatism fire that rages in Balochistan.

Professor Ahmed’s use of the fall of Titanic to describe the Pakistani state’s wilful neglect of Balochistan is apt and should ring alarm bells amongst all who care about Balochistan. When a Pakistani patriot and former ambassador like Ahmed warns of ‘the simmering, but widespread movement for independence spins out of control, Pakistan will find it almost impossible to maintain nationhood’, Pakistan must wake up and act now to save Balochistan.

Professor Ahmed’s article is especially useful for it shares his personal knowledge of the Balochi people gained during his stay in the province, in addition Professor Ahmed uses testimony from respectable Balochi exiles such as Malik Siraj Akbar whose article has been shared on OP in a B-side here.

Professor Ahmed does not mince his words in the article and his suggestion for giving honour to the Balochi people in a sustained and full-scale effort from the civilian and military powers to engage Balochistan is certainly the need of the hour. I fully endorse Professor Ahmed’s views on the urgency of the matter and plan to do whatever I can in my personal capacity as a Pakistani to save and serve Balochistan and I urge all Pakistanis to do likewise.

The second article looks at the Kayani coup that never came early this year.

The Whispering Coup by Wajahat S. Khan

The article is published in The News and can be read here.

WASIM VIEW- Khan’s article is a useful reminder of the fruits of dictatorship that Pakistan has enjoyed for too long and near;y enjoyed again in early 2012. Khan’s article is lucid and well-written and is shared on the B-side to remind us as a citizenry of the seductive pulling power that the khaki kings from Ayub and Zia to Musharraf fooled us with.

Khan rightly concludes that coups have never served Pakistan well, and cannot do and this is a point I strongly agree with. And so the lesson of the Khan article is to guard against the inherent sex appeal of the coup for such unconstitutional steps serve no-one and cannot do, instead the rule of law must prevail above all else.

The final article is written by Shehrbano Taseer, daughter of the slain Punjab Governer who was mercilessly killed by a religious zealot and is a report card on the progress of Pakistan since last year.

Pakistan is Beautiful- And Its Mine by Shehrbano Taseer

The article is published in The Express Tribune and can be read here.

WASIM VIEW- Taseer’s article is a pleasant read for its message is one of hope. The article is all the more impressive for the messenger in her is someone who still believes and loves Pakistan irrespective of her personal loss in 2011, as she lost her father Salmaan Taseer to the rising intolerance that bedevils Pakistan.

Taseer’s article is in essence a Pakistani report card on the year 2011 and charts the few ups and many downs of the year gone bye that include the devastating floods of 2011. Taseer is an optimistic soul and is full of praise for the pro-women legislation the PPP government has introduced and her praise is deserved, however like all laws in Pakistan, it is their implementation that we all seek, for only then will such legislation bring a real and lasting change in the lives of ordinary women in Pakistan.

To end, the article serves as feel-good therapy for a permanently pessimistic Pakistan, however Taseer is guilty of needless negative stereotyping in declaring Pakistani madrassas as poisonous, a description I cannot agree with even though I am not a fan of their work. Such comments are unwarranted and serve little purpose for they add to the prevailing discord and give oxygen to the radical right in painting the liberal left as enemies of Islam.

December 2011’s B-side

December 2011’s B-side focuses on the rise of a new politics in Pakistan in the form of an article by James Caan on the rise of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). With this in mind, the emergence of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the PPP is also examined in an article penned by him. The B-side finishes with an article by Christine Fair on Pakistan-US relations after the Mohmand massacre. December 2011’s B-side contents include:

  1. Pakistan At Long Last May Have Found The Leader It Needs by JAMES CAAN
  2. On The Fourth Death Anniversary of My Mother by BILAWAL BHUTTO ZARDARI
  3. Obama Should Apologise by CHRISTINE FAIR

December 2011’s B-side can be read here.

November 2011’s B-side

November 2011’s B-side has its main focus on the emergence of a third force in Pakistani politics in Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as well as continuing commentary on the evil of US drone attacks in Pakistan. The B-side begins with an analysis of the rise of Imran Khan’s PTI by Rahimullah Yusufzai, who remains one of Pakistan’s most respected jourmalists. The second article also passes comment on Imran Khan’s PTI and is written by Sana Buchha who represents the new breed of Pakistani journalists.

The B-side concludes with a heart rending article by Pratap Chatterjee about a young Pakistani boy who visited Islamabad to campaign against US drone attacks and was compensated accordingly by the US not in dollars but in the form of a drone attack that killed him, need I say more? November 2011′s B-side contents include:

  1. The Emergence of Imran Khan by RAHIMULLAH YUSUFZAI
  2. His Name is Khan, Imran Khan by SANA BUCHA
  3. The CIA’s Unaccountable Drone War Claims Another Casualty by PRATAP CHATTERJEE

November 2011′s B-side posts can be read here.

October 2011′s B-side

October 2011′s B-side is in memoriam to Begum Nusrat Bhutto who passed away in October. This special B-side includes three articles of tribute to the iron lady of Pakistan with contributions from the respected analyst Nasim Zehra followed by an article by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, Wajid Shamsul Hasan. The respected columnist Kamran Shafi is the author of the final article, October 2011′s B-side contents include the following:

  1. Ten Feet Tall by NASIM ZEHRA
  2. Begum Bhutto Lived Fighting, Died Fighting by WAJID SHAMSUL HASAN
  3. Begum Bhutto Remembered by KAMRAN SHAFI

October 2011′s B-side posts can be read here.

September 2011′s B-side

September 2011′s B-side continues to discuss that migraine of migraines, Pakistan-US relations. Ten years on from 9/11, the effect of that dark day on Pakistan are reviewed by none other than the man at the helm on that day, Pervez Musharraf. The second article looks at the current Pakistan-US tension after Admiral Mullen’s diatribe and is writtten by the one and only Christopher Hitchens. The final article in the B-side is a one-off for it is written by the slain Salmaan Taseer on Pakistan’s water and energy crisis. September 2011′s B-side contents include:

  1. I Stand By My Decision by PERVEZ MUSHARRAF
  2. Pakistan Is The Enemy by CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS
  3. The Case for Kalabagh Dam by SALMAAN TASEER

September 2011′s B-side can be read here.

August 2011′s B-side

August 2011’s B-side has its central focus on the death drones that land in Pakistan daily. The B-side is essentially a drone debate this August, because although I have written extensively against the drone attacks in Pakistan, recent developments have caught my eye and deserve further comment. The first two articles in the B-side are focused on drone attacks in Pakistan and cover new ground for they are the first articles written by senior US officials that criticise drone attacks.

The first article is written by Dennis Blair who was as recent as May 2010 the Director for National Intelligence in the Obama Administration. The second article is written by Dennis Kucinich, a senior Democratic Congressman who has tried twice to win the Democratic Party ticket to stand as President. The final article written by Shehrbano Taseer looks at another pressing foreign policy issue for Pakistan that of Pakistan-India relations in the context of the recent Pakistan-India summit in New Delhi attended by Pakistan’s new foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar. August 2011′s B-side contents include:

  1. Drones Alone Are Not The Answer by DENNIS C. BLAIR
  2. Drones Direct Hit Upon The Rule of Law by DENNIS KUCINICH
  3. Hina Rabbani Khar Offers Hope to Pakistan by SHEHRBANO TASEER

Read August 2011′s B-side here.

July 2011′s B-side

July 2011’s B-side continues to focus on the aftermath of the Bin Laden killing and looks at that headache of headaches, Pakistan-US relations. The first article is written by the one and only Tariq Ali and focuses on ‘AmPak’ – a marriage of convenience. The second article is written by Cyril Almeida and looks at Pakistan-US relations after 9/11 to the present day. The final article looks at a separate issue in terms of the Pakistan-Iran pipeline and the potential for Pakistan as an energy corridor. July 2011’s B-side contents include:

  1. US and Pakistan: The Rocky AmPak Affair by TARIQ ALI
  2. A Second Chance by CYRIL ALMEIDA
  3. Pakistan Punished in Pipelineistan by PEPE ESCOBAR

Read July 2011′s B-side here.

June 2011′s B-side

June 2011′s B-side looks within and without, starting with a continued focus on Pakistan-US relations via a commentary from a luminary no less than the former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. The second key focus is some much needed introspection that looks at the negative role of successive Pakistani military leaders in an article written by a B-side regular in Mohammed Hanif. The final article is written by Umar Cheema and reflects on the death of Saleem Shahzad and the role and responsibilities of the Pakistani media. June 2011’s B-side contents include:

  1. Pakistan: A Reality Check Amid The Terror And Chaos by PERVEZ MUSHARRAF
  2. Pakistan’s General Problem by MOHAMMED HANIF
  3. Dying To Tell The Story by UMAR CHEEMA

June 2011′s B-side can be read here.

May 2011′s B-side

May 2011’s B-side is all about the killing of Osama Bin Laden and the fall-out from it in Pakistan. Three articles try to bring some sense and perspective beginning with the much ridiculed article penned by President Zardari. The other articles have not been subject to ridicule and are written by Babar Sattar and Mohammed Hanif respectively. May 2011’s B-side contents include:

  • Pakistan Did Its Part by ASIF ALI ZARDARI
  • Time For Heads To Roll by BABAR SATTAR
  • Osama Bin Laden Death: No Mourning Or Celebration In Pakistan by MOHAMMED HANIF

Read May 2011′s B-side here.

April 2011′s B-side

April 2011′s B-side begins with deserved focus on one of the greatest Pakistanis to have graced the country, Abdul Sattar Edhi. The remainder of the B-side is devoted to that migraines of migraines, namely Pakistan-US relations. April 2011′s B-side contents include:

• The Day I Met Abdul Sattar Edhi, A Living Saint by PETER OBORNE

• Reclaiming Pakistan’s Lost Space by IMRAN KHAN

• Feeding Pakistan’s Paranoia by SHUJA NAWAZ

Read April 2011′s B-side here.

March 2011′s B-side

March 2011′s B-side is set to be a depressing read. Depressing for its main focus is on Pakistan-US relations vis a vis the Raymond Davis issue and looks at both sides of what is now a useless and redundant debate with two articles by luminaries no less than Christopher Hitchens and the President of Pakistan himself. The second key focus for the B-side is equally distressing via an article by the author Mohammed Hanif who looks at the rising intolerance in Pakistan. March 2011′s B-side contents are:

  • As Pakistan Battles Extremism, It Needs Allies Patience and Help by ASIF ALI ZARDARI
  • Our Man in Pakistan by CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS
  • Silence Has Become The Mother of All Blasphemies by MOHAMMED HANIF

Read March 2011′s B-side here.

February 2011′s Balochistan B-side

February 2011′s B-side is unique and the shortest B-side posted on Other Pakistan.  Such a change was planned and planned for effect as this B-side has a singular focus on Balochistan and Balochistan alone. The entire B-side looks at only one article by discussing the press release from Amnesty International no less on the burning fire that is Balochistan. The aim of this B-side is to awaken the Pakistani people and state to act now to put out the fire that is burning in Pakistan hence the special one-off Balochistan B-side. February 2011′s Balochistan B-side contents include:

  • Pakistan: Balochistan Atrocities Continue To Rise by Amnesty International

Read February 2011′s Balochistan B-side here.

January 2011′s B-side

January 2011′s B-side is Salman Taseer-centred and is at its core, an exercise in Pakistani introspection. All of the article authors are Pakistanis writing on Pakistan, indeed such introspection is necessary  if Pakistan is to make any progress in the years ahead and has come about after the brutal killing of Salman Taseer.

The first two articles focus engage in some much needed introspection and focus on the death of Salman Taseer with the first written by Salman Taseer’s daughter Shehrbano Taseer and the second by the PML MNA and analyst Ayaz Amir. The final article also has its links to Salman Taseer but looks at religious extremism in Pakistan and more widely in terms of the prevailing geostrategic environment and is written by a Pakistani legend in Imran Khan. January 2011′s B-side contents include:

  • My Father’s Death Must Not Silence the Voices of Reason in Pakistan by SHEHRBANO TASEER
  • Clerics On The March by AYAZ AMIR
  • Pakistan Will Implode If The US Does Not Leave Afghanistan by IMRAN KHAN

Read January 2011′s B-side here.

December 2010′s B-side

December 2010′ B-side is the last of 2010 and has its focus on the nightmare that doesnt go away that is American and her predator drones. The other key focus continues to be Kashmir, as has been the case in many previous B-sides here and here, as Kashmir remains close to my heart.

The B-side begins with an article by Mehdi Hasaan on US drone attacks and lays bare Barack Obama for the state terrorist that he is in my opinion. The final article also focuses on the role of America vis a vis Pakistan and is written by a seasoned journalis in H D S Greenway. Sandwiched between these articles is an article on Kashmir’s importance and its brutal occupation by India written by Basharat Peer and Sasha Polakow-Suransky. December 2010′s B-side contents include:

  • US Drone Attacks Are No Laughing Matter, Mr Obama by MEHDI HASAN
  • All Roads Lead to Kashmir by BASHARAT PEER and SASHA POLAKOW-SURANSKY
  • Dealing with Pakistan by H. D. S. GREENWAY

Read December 2010′s B-side here.

November 2010′s B-side

November 2010′s B-side is essentially an extension of October 2010′s B-side in that it continues with a central focus on Kashmir. The B-side begins with an article written by the one and only, Arundhati Roy. Roy’s article on Kashmir is a tough read for it depicts the harsh realities of Indian occupation and was written during President Obama Indian tour and is sure to have caught his eye!

The international community’s apathy in ignoring the Kashmir issue (to their cost) is discussed in the second article by Ahmed Rashid in relation to the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Last and least is an article by an arrogant man who refuses to go quietly into retirement, Pervez Musharraf. November 2010′s B-side contents include:

  • Kashmir’s Fruits of Discord by ARUNDHATI ROY
  • The Road to Kabul Runs Through Kashmir by AHMED RASHID
  • Don’t Mess With Pakistan by PERVEZ MUSHARRAF

Read November 2010′s B-side here.

October 2010′s B-side

October 2010′s B-side is essentially a B-side focused on Kashmir albeit from an Indian perspective. Both the first and second articles are Kashmir-focused and will be eye-openers for many and represent a mature deviation from the prevailing orthodoxy vis a vis India and Kashmir. The final article will also open many an eye, this time to the injustice meted out by the much celebrated Obama brand sorry Administration. October 2010′s B-side contents include:

  • Arundhati Roy and Kashmir’s Struggle for Justice by MURTAZA SHIBLI
  • The Kashmir Imbrologio: Thinking the Unthinkable by Dr VITHAL RAJAN
  • Injustice in the Age of Obama by CINDY SHEEHAN

Read October 2010′s B-side here.

September 2010′S B-side

September 2010′s B-side has an almost singular focus, that is on the jugular vein of Pakistan, Kashmir. Two articles are shared with readers, the first brings home the brutal state repression that Indian has unleashed in recent months whilst the second is forward-looking and looks at how the Kashmir dispute can be resolved. The final article is written by a friend who dreams of a better Pakistan and it is a hope that I share. September 2010′s B-side contents include:

  • An Eight Year Old Kashmiri Went Out to Play, He Came Back Home Dead by BASHARAT PEER
  • Kashmir: A Conflict Worse Than Afghanistan by BRUCE RIEDEL
  • Why I Came Back by SAMAD KHURRAM

Read September 2010′s B-side here.

August 201o’s B-side

August 2010′s B-side looks at Pakistan’s impending water shortage crisis which is shocking given Pakistan is overflowing in water at present. The remaining focus for the B-side centres on British Prime Minister David Cameron’s crude comments against Pakistan. August 2010′s B-side contents are:

  • Drowning Today, Parched Tomorrow by STEPHEN SOLOMON
  • The PM Should Listen More and Talk Less by DAVID MILIBAND
  • PM Spoke As True Friend of Pakistan by SAYEEDA WARSI

Read August 2010′s B-side here.

July 2010′s B-side

July 2010′s B-side should be called the American Betrayal of Pakistan for it includes two honest articles by two Americans no-less of how America has  betrayed Pakistan. For that alone July 2010′s B-side is a must-read, as well as this the B-side is a must-read for its focus on the burning fire that is Balochistan. July 2010′s B-side contents include:

  • I Cried for Jalib by MALIK SIRAJ AKBAR
  • US Must Grow Up on Pakistan by MICHAEL SCHEUER
  • Partisan Gridlock’s Long Reach by DAVID IGNATIUS

Read July 2010′s B-side here.

June 2010′s B-side

June 2010′s B-side has two central themes. The first is a focus on Islam and its status in the Islamic State of Pakistan thanks to an excellent article by Ayaz Amir. The second focus on Afghanistan, looks at the prospects of the approaching endgame via an open letter written by David Miliband to General David Petreus. Huma Yusuf’s article looks at Afghanistan’s new riches and its geopolitical implications amidst the fear of a new ’great game’, fun and games indeed. June 2010′s B-side contents include:

  • The Blasphemy Around Us by AYAZ AMIR
  • How to End the War in Afghanistan by DAVID MILIBAND
  • Afghanistan’s New Riches by HUMA YUSUF

Read June 2010′s B-side here.

May 2010′s B-side

May’s B-side looks at a number of pressing Pakistani concerns and includes a focus on Kashmir, the power crisis and last but not least Pakistan-US relations. May 2010′s B-side contents include the following:

  • Kashmir Solution: Imperative for Peace by KHURSHID MEHMOOD KASURI
  • Power-less Pakistan by CHARLES K. EBINGER & KASHIF HASNIE
  • Faisal Shehzad’s Anti-Americanism by PERVEZ HOODBHOY

Read May 2010′s B-side here.

April 2010′s B-side

April’s B-side begins by passing comment on an optimistic view of Pakistan’s future whilst retaining focus on regular pet hates such as the dreaded drones. In the final article the troubling questions arising from the Benazir Bhutto UN Report  are explored. April 2010′s B-side contents include:

  • Room for Optimism by MOHSIN HAMID
  • The Obama Doctrine: Kill don’t Detain by ASIM QURESHI
  • Questions, More Questions by KAMRAN SHAFI

Read April 2010′s B-side here.

March 2010′s B-side

March 2010’s B-side enters new territory in its coverage of a religious edict in the form of a fatwa  The missing persons of Pakistan are in the spotlight whilst the final article evaluates the Obama policy for Pakistan. March 2010’s B-side contents include:

  • My Fatwa Against the Terrorists Creed by DR TAHIR UL QADRI
  • Into the Terrifying World of Pakistan’s Disappeared by ROBERT FISK
  • Victory for Obama from an Unlikely Quarter-Pakistan by FAREED ZAKARIA

Read March 2010′s B-side here.

February 2010′s B-side

February’s B-side goes beyond the constant headache of Afghanistan and brings into focus Pakistan-India relations. Kashmir is king in the B-side as it should be more often. False accusations that border on deliberate lies against Pakistan are tackled too, and tackled head-on with February 2010’s B-side contents including:

  • Lets Refocus Kashmir, not Kabul by DOUG SAUNDERS
  • Taking on the Taliban by STEVE COLL
  • Home Truths by FATIMA BHUTTO

Read February 2010′s B-side here.

January 2010′s B-side

January’s B-side is the first of a new year and of a new decade, yet its focus remains on issues historical, issues that have plagued Pakistan for decades. The two A’s of America and Afghanistan remain the key focus  for Pakistan as we enter 2010, a year in which the Obama surge is expected to perform its magic. January’s B-side post contents include:

  • Why does Pakistan hate the United States by CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS
  • Afghanistan:What Could Work by RORY STEWART
  • Our Commitment to Pakistan by ROBERT GATES

Read January 2010′s B-side here.

December 2009′s B-side

December’s B-side is the final B-side of 2009 and is noteworthy for three reasons. First, it marks the first year of B-side posts published on Other Pakistan and as so is  time to take stock of the year and the key issues that Pakistan has faced in the year. Such reflection is the need of the hour and can be done by a re-read of the B-side posts as shown here.

Secondly December’s B-side post is special in that this December, four articles are analysed instead of the normal trio of three. Thirdly the authors of the articles are household names for many a reason and include both the former and current President of Pakistan. December’s B-side contents include:

  • How To Mend Fences With Pakistan by ASIF ALI ZARDARI
  • The Afghanistan-Pakistan Solution by PERVEZ MUSHARRAF
  • A Troop Surge Can Only Magnify The Crime Against Afghanistan by MALALAI JOYA
  • Kissinger’s Fantasy is Obama’s Reality by PANKAJ MISHRA

Read December 2009′s B-side here.

November 2009′s B-side

November’s B-side covers a wide canvas and begins by looking at the vitroil directed at Pakistan and her nuclear status in the form of continous allegations of proliferation by Dr AQ Khan. The second article looks at the potential of the wider South Asia region if the IPI gas pipeline dream is realised linking Pakistan with Iran and India . The final article centres on Afghanistan and at Matthew Hoh’s resignation letter,  the now famous and for some infamous official who has resigned from the US Foreign Service for its flawed policies in Afghanistan. November’s B-side contents include:

  • A Nuclear Power’s Act of Proliferation by R. JEFFERY SMITH & JOBY WARWICK
  • Energising Peace by SALEEM H. ALI & PARAG KHANNA
  • Resignation Letter by MATTHEW HOH

Read November 2009′s B-side here.

October 2009′s B-side

October’s B-side continues to focus on the scourge that is America’s continued influence in Pakistan, even her indirect rule of Pakistan. The much lauded and derided Kerry-Lugar bill  is a key focus in the B-side whilst two alternative strategies for ending the occupation by America of Afghanistan are explored. October’s B-side contents include:

  • With Friends Like the US, Pakistan Doesnt Need Enemies by SIMON TISDALL
  • Don’t Try to Arrest the Sea: An Alternative Approach to Afghanistan by MEHAR OMAR KHAN
  • 10 Steps to Victory in Afghanistan by VARIOUS NEW YORK TIMES COMMENTATORS

Read October 2009′s B-side here.

September 2009′s B-side

September’s B-side promises to keep Pakistanis awake at night. A doomsday scenario is painted in an article by Stephan Faris on how climate change is going to affect the land of the pure. Fatima Bhutto a favourite of many a Pakistani is the author of the second article and like all of her articles, this article two is well worth its weight in gold. Last but not least Admiral Mike Mullen the US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff’s speech is scrutinised. September’s B-side content includes:

  • The Last Straw by STEPHAN FARIS
  • My Country of Horror and Possibility by FATIMA BHUTTO
  • Getting Back to Basics by Admiral MIKE MULLEN

Read September 2009′s B-side here.

August 2009′s B-side

August’s B-side includes an alternative look at Afghanistan by narrating the story of an Afghan heroine, one Malalai Joya. The second article is actually a speech  by David Miliband the British Foreign Secretary on Afghanistan and provides a rejoinder of sorts to the first article. The final article looks at Pakistan’s power and energy problems and is written by Mustafa Qadri. August’s B-side contents are:

  • The Woman Who Will Not be Silenced: MALALAI JOYA
  • NATO Speech in Brussels by DAVID MILIBAND
  • Pakistan’s Power Politics by MUSTAFA QADRI

Read August 2009′s B-side here.

July 2009′s B-side

July’s B-side includes an article by David ‘Pakistan will fall in six months’ Kilcullen and focuses on his prescription for solving Afghanistan.  Kilcullen’s article is contrasted by an article by Graham Fuller who was a former CIA Station Chief in Kabul who lays bare US folly in Afghanistan and Pakistan on President Obama’s watch. Both articles are sandwiched by the best article of all, a humourous article of horror on Lucifer’s litter namely the Taliban written by Fasi Zaka. July’s B-side contents are:

  • For Answers to the Afghan-Pakistan Conflict, Ask What Would Curzon Do? by DAVID KILCULLEN
  • Taliban Teatime by FASI ZAKA
  • Obama’s Policies Making Situation Worse in Afghanistan and Pakistan by GRAHAM E FULLER

Read July 2009′s B-side here.

June 2009′s B-side

June’s B-side continues in the same vein as those of April and May with its twin focus on US-Pakistan relations albeit in a new context looking at Uncle Sam’s fascination with our nuclear arsenal. The second focus remains Lucifer’s litter namely the Taliban and their evil. June’s B-side contents are:

  • Pakistan and The Bomb by BRUCE RIEDEL
  • A Tragedy of Cover Ups & Failures by ASMA JEHANGIR
  • Whither Pakistan by PERVEZ HOODBHOY

Read June 2009′s B-side here.

May 2009′s B-side

May’s B-side like the one for April preceding it,  retains focus on the two A’s that give Pakistan a constant headache- America and Afghanistan and their satanic offspring namely the Taliban and Mr & Mrs Hellfire aka the infamous drones that grace Pakistan’s airspace so regularly. May’s B-side contents are:

  • The Drone War by PETER BERGEN & KATHERINE TIEDEMANN
  • Taliban vs Taliban by GRAHAM USHER
  • How Pakistan is Countering the Taliban by HUSAIN HAQQANI

Read May 2009′s B-side here.

April 2009′s B-side

April’s B-side is focused entirely on the two A’s that give Pakistan a constant headache- America and Afghanistan. The much trumpeted Obama policy for Afghanistan has been announced with accompanying fanfare and is the focus of April’s B-side as Afghanistan’s fate will affect Pakistan greatly. April’s B-side contents are:

  • A New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan by BARACK OBAMA
  • With Obama At the World’s Most Dangerous Place by Prof AKBAR AHMED
  • Munich Conference Speech by SHAH MEHMOOD QURESHI

Read April 2009′s B-side here.

March 2009′s B-side

March is a historic month and the ides of March in particular is legendary. For Pakistan this March has lived up to its billing, as March 2009 has been a defining month with the Chief Justice being restored along with his brother judges. In the same March, President Obama announced his new strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, drones included free of course!

March’s B-side has a key focus on Pakistan-US-Afghanistan policy with alternative futures discussed. March’s B-side will be a prelude to April’s B-side which will focus entirely on US policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan as by then the NATO Summit will have decided on concrete steps and will be worthy of comprehensive debate and denigration more likely from commentators across the political divide. March’s B-side contents are:

  • A Race Against Time in Afghanistan by JOHN KERRY
  • The Best Ally Against Extremism by PAULA NEWBERG
  • Pakistan Hone Se Bachao by VARUN GANDHI

Read March 2009′s B-side here.

February 2009′s B-side

February’s B-side will provide hope and pain in equal measure. The first article will bring readers endless joy, the second by Fatima Bhutto and will bring some pain as does the final article by Peter Preston. February’s B-side contents are:

  • Saluting Ali Moeen Nawazish by WASIM ARIF
  • Pleasing Mr Obama by FATIMA BHUTTO
  • Truckling to the Taliban by PETER PRESTON

Read February 2009′s B-side here.

January 2009′s B-side

The Gaza genocide is made the key focus of January’s B-side. Imran Khan’s letter to President Obama is the second key focus with Kashmir becoming the third key focus for this month’s B-side. January’s B-side contents are:

  • The Gaza Genocide by WASIM ARIF
  • Imran Khan’s Open Letter to President Obama by IMRAN KHAN
  • David Miliband’s Kashmir Comments by WASIM ARIF

Read January 2009′s B-side here.

December 2008′s B-side

Welcome to Other Pakistan’s first ever B-side post. The B-side for December includes a blog post by the one and only Amitabh Bachchan. The acclaimed writer and thinker Tariq Ali views are on Al-Qaeda are discussed as is a humorous but true story concerning Afghanistan and a drug called Viagra. December’s B-side includes all of the following:

  • Day 221 by AMITABH BACHCHAN
  • Brown’s Al-Qaeda Game by TARIQ ALI
  • US offers Viagra to win over Afghan Warlords (Daily Times)

Read December 2008′s B-side here.