China has grabbed the opportunity and made its inroads into the African market, as its trade with Africa touched a record high last year of $261 billion while the US trade with Africa was recorded as low as $64 billion. Sensing the growing penetration of China’s influence in Africa, US, has pledged $55bn for the coming three years, for the modernization of technology in Africa. Furthermore, US invited 49 African countries to convene for a US-African leaders’ summit in Washington from 13-15 December, 2022.   The two global powers and business competitors, USA and China, are racing against each other  to win Africa to their side as the continent offers opportunities alongside many risks that caused a drop in US trade with it.  While China grabbed the opportunities and made its inroads into the African market during last couple of decades. Chinese trade with Africa touched a record high last year of $261 billion while the US trade with Africa recorded as low as $64 billion. For the first time, a continent and not a country is being approached by the US with programs and plans to address their grievances and offer them a greater role on global level by seeking a seat for them in G20 and work with them in promoting democratic norms in the African continent where two other global powers, China and Russia, are already enjoying considerable influence. Sensing the growing penetration of this influence in Africa and a worrying possibility of a Chinese naval base on Africa’s Atlantic coast, the USA had invited 49 African countries to convene for a US-African leaders summit in Washington from 13-15 December, 2022. This was the second time when the African leaders had gathered in the US after their initial  visit during Barak Obama’s reign in 2014. With Donald Trump’s ascendance to power, the US followed a new policy that favored ‘America’s first”, which  gave the African continent  no significant important role.  Once ignored by the US, the disappointed (disgruntled) Africans...

As the Taliban expedite regressive measures to pull back all the modest but relatively significant progress Afghanistan made in the last two decades, the international community stands flummoxed and disappointed with the de facto rulers, unable to fathom the future course of action. The direction in which Afghanistan is going is heartbreaking. So, no road map ends up in this place that we would have ever wanted: the statement came from Karen Decker (United States Deputy Chief of Mission in Afghanistan) at a recent press conference. The Taliban have received substantial traction from world leaders. There have been ample attempts to talk to the ruling group about upholding human rights, eradicating terrorism, and ensuring social welfare. The de facto rulers have been expecting the world and their people to look at them with a softer lens, but the reality is that they have not changed themselves. They were referred to as Taliban 2.0 when Abdul Qahar Balkhi (spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) appeared in an interview on Al-Jazeera. Balkhi, with his impeccable diction and tribal attire, made an impression that the Taliban can speak the West’s language but still retain their individuality. The status quo suggests they are fluent in English, but certainly not 2.0. On the parochial and orthodox measures taken since August 15, 2021, and their most recent decision to close higher education institutions for girls, the Taliban have received severe backlash from the international community. The recent – acrid yet factual – critique on the Taliban comes from Karen Decker, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan. Decker spoke to the media on the Taliban’s unity versus disintegration of the Afghan political opposition parties, the hardliner Qandahar group, and the plight of human rights in the country. Taliban ban women from universities Decker said that the US has been talking to the Taliban for months at very senior levels of...

Balochistan: This month (December, 2022), Balochistan in particular since eight days (19th-27th Dec) has experienced a wave of simultaneous terrorist attacks across several areas.   Then on Dec 19, an Intelligence Bureau sub-inspector was gunned down in Peshawar, while a suicide attack in North Waziristan claimed the lives of a soldier and two civilians. On 19th December, at least thirteen people were injured in a blast near the Umar Farooq Chowk in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district. In a Dawn report, Khuzdar SHO Muhammad Jan Sasoli, while confirming the blast stated that the explosive was attached to a motorcycle in the area. Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo condemned the attack and declared an emergency in hospitals across the city.”Terrorists who target innocent people are enemies of the nation. No religion or society gives permission for this bloodshed,” he said in a statement On 20th December, a Levies soldier was martyred and another injured after unidentified armed militants attacked a checkpoint in Bhat area of Balochistan’s Kharan district. Kharan Deputy Commissioner Munir Ahmed Musiani told Dawn News that almost twenty-five to thirty militants attacked the post. Later on, 24th December, as per official, police sources confirmation (to Dawn News), two more incidents occurred, in which at least five security personnel belonging to the FC and Levies were martyred in Turbat and Chaman, respectively. The banned TTP took responsibility for the Chaman attack. Last but not least, 25th December saw even more violence with multiple attacks taking place simultaneously on the same day: On Quetta’s Sabzal Road, according to a statement issued by Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, at least four people were injured. In his statement, CM Bizenjo also directed police to continue intelligence-based operations against terrorists and “leave no stone unturned in taking the enemies of peace to task”. He further instructed that the best medical...

Pakistans Foreign Minister since gaining position in April, 2022, has extensively travelled abroad and made over 10 foreign trips, in just eight months. However, with  his recent trip (in December) to the US over ten days, Bilawal failed to get an in-person meeting with Blinken and had to settle for a phone conversation.More tangible results need to be seen from the US, in assuring Pakistan that the present recalibration of US-Pakistan ties serve not just US interests but is beneficial to Pakistan also. On December 14-21, 2022, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari traveled to the United States for an official visit. This trip covered multiple multilateral and bilateral meetings in New York City and Washington, D.C. During this visit, the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke by phone with FM Bilawal and discussed various common agenda`s. The Secretary committed US support to Pakistanis as they recover from recent devastating floods. In their respective talks, they both stressed the value of close cooperation and expressed their common desire for the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan to be successful. Reiterating the United States’ continued support for Pakistan in its battle against terrorism, Blinken expressed compassion for the victims in the recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Previously, in May 2022, Bilawal had an hour long meeting with Blinken at the UN headquarters in New York. This was their first face-to-face meeting following their extensive telephone conversation on May 6.They covered the full spectrum of Pakistan-U.S. relations and discussed global and regional situation. Then, on a 10-day trip in September 2022, Bilawal attended the UNGA summit in New York and spoke with Blinken on the sidelines as part of a renewed effort on both sides to mend their strained ties following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. According to official sources, Bilawal’s visit was intended to explore ways to build a sustainable...