May is hot in South Asia, but in the preceding month Pakistani politics has been even more heated than the weather across plains of Punjab and Sindh. This is now a season of “no holds barred” contest; General Elections have been announced for 25th July, corruption cases against Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s ex-premier are expected to be concluded soon, and the embattled politician is trying his best to enact a larger narrative of a statesman who embraced the sword for his vision rather than brought down for petty money-making – in the process he attacks a work of non-fiction.
Dr Moeed Pirzada analyses how the “Spy Chronicles” book co-authored by Gen. Asad Durrani and AS Dulat, two spymasters of South Asia, became a victim of Pakistani politics of narrative shaping – increasing its sales in the process. Murtaza Shibli, from Srinagar, brings a quintessential Kashmiri response, a vote of no-confidence, on the Indo-Pakistani narrative shaping.
This then becomes our title theme – A General in the dock. But we have also examined the dynamics of coming elections: Asim Imdad, an ex-DMG officer, an insider in past elections, tells us the best methods of rigging and Saad Rasool explains the role big money plays in managing results and why no-one is interested in implementing campaign finance rules.
Our special Industry features looks at the digital economy and how telecoms have been driving Pakistan’s economic progress; outgoing IT minister, Anusha Rahman, sums up the achievements of the government in expanding the industry and CEO Telenor, Irfan Wahab adds his vision of empowering societies through connectivity and explains how Pakistani industry is moving beyond the traditional voice and data telephony into a new unknown future.
Dr. Sameer Lalwani from Washington’s Stimson center tells us whilst Pakistan-USA relations are in the doldrums, there is hope on the horizon if both nations cooperate in spheres where mutual self-interest prevails. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay tells us from Delhi, how Operation BlueStar conducted in the first week of June in 1984, leaves a stab of pain among Indians.
This is sixth issue of Global Village Space Magazine, and we keep on hearing good words on our well-researched pieces and the diversity of our content and we are grateful to our sponsors without whose interest this won’t reach your hands but we have a request to our readers – please subscribe. Your subscriptions will help this cause.
Wish you a Happy Eid ul Fitar !
Najma Minhas
Managing Editor