Allama Muhmmad Iqbal Words, without power, is mere philosophy.
Quaid-e-Azam Expect the best, Prepare for the worst...
Life imprisonment and confiscation of all his property. This is the statement that a Chinese court has imposed for “encouraging separatism ” Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, 44 years and a very moderate line defender of the rights of their ethnicity. With this conviction, harder than in years China has imposed an activist against the central […]
After a week of dark clouds, rain and storms, the day dawned calm in Istanbul and much of Turkey, while its citizens were heading to the 160,000 polling stations spread across the country. Some 53 million people today are called to the polls, the first time that citizens directly elect the President, which until now […]
Modes of Islamic Finance MURABAHA: Literally it means a sale on mutually agreed profit. Technically, it is a contract of sale in which the seller declares his cost and profit. Islamic banks have adopted this as a mode of financing. As a financing technique, it involves a request by the client to the bank to […]
Islamic Banking Global Scenario – Final Part Previously we discussed the situation of Islamic banking and financial institutions in Bahrain and Malaysia. Moreover, Islamic banks have also built a strong presence in Malaysia, where Standard & Poor’s assigned a BBB+ rating to the $600 million Sharia-compliant trust certificates (called sukuk) issued by Malaysia Global Sukuk […]
Islamic Banking Global Scenario – Part 1 Over the last three decades Islamic banking and finance has developed into a full-fledged system and discipline reportedly growing at the rate of 15 percent per annum. Today, Islamic financial institutions, in one form or the other, are working in about 75 countries of the world. Besides individual […]
The concept behind Islamic Banking Islamic banking is based on the principles of Islamic economics — an economic framework in accordance with Islamic law (Sharia’h). There are two types of Islamic economics: • Caliphate, the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world (Islamic political framework) • Assuming the […]
The lust of the chair In Pakistan the tradition of leaving office voluntarily is missing. The troubling reality is that in recent history, our heads of state have been invariably forced out of office. In fact, over the last 40 years, we don’t find a single instance of the de-facto head of state leaving on […]
A registered vote brings Winds of Change As Pakistan gears up for upcoming elections, voters are reexamining their continual support for the two “old parties” of Pakistan. Alternative third parties like Tehreek-e-Insaaf are gaining popularity and thereby challenging the PPP-PML-N dichotomy. With greater choices available to the voter, it is increasingly important to examine what […]
Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan collectively fight opium smuggling Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan on Monday agreed to bolster regional cooperation to combat drug smuggling at a time when the cultivation of illicit opium poppy is increasing. Afghanistan provides about 90 per cent of the world’s opium, the raw ingredient used to make heroin, and the UN and Afghan […]
United Nations and its failures – Last Part (3) As we were taking about the failures of the United Nations in the previous issue, I explained that there were more horrors to come in the 1990’s. In the 1990’s, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, economic sanctions were applied, until March 1991, to pressure them to leave. […]
United Nations and its failures – Part Two The wanton use of the veto has undermined the UN system and reduced its Secretary General to a mere puppet, though under the charter the Secretary General must uphold the values and moral authority of the UN, and speak and act for peace, even at the risk […]
United Nations and its failures – Part One As the United Nations General Assembly sessions continue in New York, it is time to say loud and clear that the world body stands exposed as an instrument of imperial powers. Its track record speaks for itself. Its mechanism has been used more for prosecuting imperialist wars […]
