CRSS – Center for Research and Security Studies – Pakistan Focused, Independent Questions, Independent Answers

June 15, 2012 :

The stunning, though not unexpected,  ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court in Egypt on Thursday (June 14, 2012) ordered the dissolution of the elected parliament – dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood-led Islamist parties. It was a story foretold in view of the gradually escalating brawl between the Islamists and the remnants of old pro-Western ruling …

October 27, 2011 :

Following Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton’s Oct 21st visit to Islamabad, Pakistan-US relations are likely to head out of months of tensions that had begun with the May 2nd raid on the compound of Osama bin Laden in the hilly town of Abbottabad. During her intensive interaction with the government and the civil society in …

October 19, 2011 :

The recent outburst from US defence heads, calling the Haqqani Network a veritable arm of the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence), has badly hit the loosely balanced US-Pak relations.  A major portion of military aid for Pakistan has been suspended amid growing concerns over the military’s role in supporting the terrorist outfits operating in Afghanistan[i]. Diplomatic ties are …

August 12, 2011 :

“We will guard our interests, come what may,” says a top Pakistani general. His posture indicates the defiant mood in the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. Army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani’s response to the suspension of $800 million US military assistance to Pakistan must be seen in this context. The underlying message was that the …

August 9, 2011 :

Executive Summary: The week in focus was less violent compared to the previous one. Pakistan Army Chief of Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s visit to Balochistan and the inauguration of the Garrison Sports Academy and Institute of Medical Sciences in Quetta on Monday, August 1 was the salient feature of the week. During the visit, …

July 16, 2011 :

General David Petraeus, the outgoing chief commander of the US-ISAF troops, referred to Pakistan army’s action long-overdue operation in Kurram and the trans-border movement by Afghan militants and their TTP affiliates as “North Waziristan in Reverse.” He tossed the phrase, according to a diplomatic source,  in the presence of other ISAF representatives, suggesting that North Waziristan …

July 1, 2011 :

Never before has Pakistan’s security apparatus been stretched , and under strain. From Karachi to Peshawar and further north it is constantly under attack. The army has lost more than 3,300 soldiers and officers, the ISI and the Military Intelligence have also  lost more than 100  operatives in the last six years. It is nothing less than …

June 27, 2011 :

Amid criticism from various quarters—including the U.S. military leadership—on June 22nd, U.S. President, Barack Obama, announced pulling out 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by September 2012, with 10,000—mostly non-combat—troops starting to leave in July.  The cost of the nearly decade-long war in Afghanistan  will touch the trillion dollar mark by the end of this year. In …

May 25, 2011 :

At around 10:30 pm on May 22, 6 armed militants raided Pakistan Navy’s airbase, PNS [Pakistan Naval Station] Mehran, in Karachi, about 10 km off the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport. Two P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircrafts were destroyed in the attack. Eight Pakistan Navy personnel and two Rangers personnel were killed while 15 others—both from navy …

May 13, 2011 :

Aarish U. Khan, Sr. Research Fellow The OBL (Osama Bin Laden) episode has unleashed a new dynamic within the United States, with some Congressmen demanding that the Obama administration review its alliance with Pakistan. Three Republican Representatives have already moved the “Pakistan Foreign Aid Accountability” bill in the House of Representatives to condition the U.S. …