Friday, June 30, 2017

Pakistan is the 7th Largest Source of Foreign-Born Citizens of Rich OECD Nations

Nearly 100,000 Pakistanis migrated to and another 50,000 acquired citizenship of the rich industrialized nations of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2015, according to International Migration Outlook 2017 released by the Organization.

OECD Migration Report 2017: 

Nearly 50,000 Pakistani immigrants became citizens of the rich industrialized countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2015, according to International Migration Outlook 2017 recently published by the Organization.

Source: International Migration Outlook 2017

India topped the list with 130,000 Indians acquiring citizenship of OECD nations in 2015, followed by Mexico (112,000) ranked 2nd, the Philippines (94,000) ranked 3rd, Morocco (94,000) ranked 4th, China (78,000) ranked 5th, Albania (52,000) ranked 6th and Pakistan (50,000) ranked 7th.

In addition, Pakistan was the 18th largest source of immigrants with 99,000 Pakistanis migrating to OECD nations in 2015. India is 5th on this list with 268,000 Indians migrating to OECD countries.

Source: International Migration Outlook 2017

Humanitarian migration of refugees, rather than migration for better economic prospects, dominated OECD inflows during 2015. War-torn Syria was the second largest source with 430,000 migrants in 2015, the report said.

Pew Research Data: 

India is the world's largest exporter of labor with 15.8 million Indians working in other countries. Bangladesh ranks 5th with 7.2 million Bangladeshis working overseas while Pakistan ranks 6th with 5.9 million Pakistanis working overseas, according to Pew Research report released ahead of International Migrants Day observance on Sunday, December 18, 2016.

International Migration: 

Countries of Origin of Migrants to the United States Source: Pew Research




Pew Research reports that nearly 3.5 million Indians lived in the UAE, the world’s second-largest migration corridor in 2015. While most of the migration is from low and middle income countries to high-income countries, the top 20 list of migrants' origins also includes rich countries like the United States (ranked 20), United Kingdom (11), Germany (14), Italy (21) and South Korea (25).

Top 25 Sources of Migrants:

Here is the list of top 20 countries of origin for international migrants:


1. India 15.9 million

2. Mexico 12.3 million

3. Russia 10.6 million

4. China 9.5 million

5. Bangladesh 7.2 million

6. Pakistan 5.9 million

7. Ukraine 5.83 million

8.  Philippines 5.32 million

9.  Syria 5.01 million

10. Afghanistan 4.84 million

11. United Kingdom 4.92 million

12. Poland 4.45 million

13. Kazakstan 4.08 million

14. Germany 4.0 million

15. Indonesia 3.88 million

16. Palestine 3.55 million

17. Romania 3.41 million

18. Egypt 3.27 million

19. Turkey 3.11 million

20. United States 3.02 million

21. Italy 2.9 million

22. Burma (Myanmar) 2.88 million

23. Colombia 2.64 million

24. Vietnam 2.56 million

25. South Korea 2.35 million

Declining Labor Pool in Developed Economies: 

The world population is aging with slowing labor force growth. It is particularly true of the more developed nations with aging populations and declining birth rates.  In an recent report titled "Asian Economic Integration Report", the Asian Development argued that migration within Asia can help deal with regional labor imbalances. It said as follows:

"In Asia and the Pacific, many economies could expand their role as the source or host economy for migrant workers.

Labor supply is still growing in developing economies—such as Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines—and they could export labor across the region. In contrast, developed but aging economies such as Hong Kong, China; the Republic of Korea; Japan; and Singapore are unable to meet labor demand with their dwindling workforce.

Hence, these economies would benefit from immigrant labor. Kang and Magoncia (2016) further discuss the potential for migration to reallocate labor from surplus to deficit economies and offer a glimpse of how the demographic shift will frame Asia’s future population structure, particularly the future working age population. Among the issues explored is the magnitude of labor force surpluses and deficits within different economies in Asia."

Pakistan's Growing Labor Force:

Pakistan has the world’s sixth largest population, sixth largest diaspora and the ninth largest labor force with growing human capital. With rapidly declining fertility and aging populations in the industrialized world, Pakistan's growing talent pool is likely to play a much bigger role to satisfy global demand for workers in the 21st century and contribute to the well-being of Pakistan as well as other parts of the world.



With half the population below 20 years and 60 per cent below 30 years, Pakistan is well-positioned to reap what is often described as "demographic dividend", with its workforce growing at a faster rate than total population. This trend is estimated to accelerate over several decades. Contrary to the oft-repeated talk of doom and gloom, average Pakistanis are now taking education more seriously than ever. Youth literacy is about 70% and growing, and young people are spending more time in schools and colleges to graduate at higher rates than their Indian counterparts in 15+ age group, according to a report on educational achievement by Harvard University researchers Robert Barro and Jong-Wha Lee. Vocational training is also getting increased focus since 2006 under National Vocational Training Commission (NAVTEC) with help from Germany, Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands.



Pakistan's work force is over 60 million strong, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics. With increasing female participation, the country's labor pool is rising at a rate of 3.5% a year, according to International Labor Organization.

With rising urban middle class, there is substantial and growing demand in Pakistan from students, parents and employers for private quality higher education along with a willingness and capacity to pay relatively high tuition and fees, according to the findings of Austrade, an Australian government agency promoting trade. Private institutions are seeking affiliations with universities abroad to ensure they offer information and training that is of international standards.


Trans-national education (TNE) is a growing market in Pakistan and recent data shows evidence of over 40 such programs running successfully in affiliation with British universities at undergraduate and graduate level, according to The British Council. Overall, the UK takes about 65 per cent of the TNE market in Pakistan.

It is extremely important for Pakistan's public policy makers and the nation's private sector to fully appreciate the expected demographic dividend as a great opportunity. The best way for them to demonstrate it is to push a pro-youth agenda of education, skills developmenthealth and fitness to take full advantage of this tremendous opportunity. Failure to do so would be a missed opportunity that could be extremely costly for Pakistan and the rest of the world.

Growth Forecast 2014-2050. Source: EIU


In the high fertility countries of Africa and Asia family sizes are continuing to decline. And in low fertility countries family sizes will continue to remain below replacement levels. Why? Because the same juggernaut forces are operating: increasing urbanization, smaller and costly housing, expanding higher education and career opportunities for women, high financial costs and time pressures for childrearing and changing attitudes and life styles.

Source: BBC



Countries With Declining Populations:

115 countries, including China (1.55), Hong Kong (1.17),  Taiwan (1.11) and Singapore (0.8) are well below the replacement level of 2.1 TFR.  Their populations will sharply decline in later part of the 21st century.

 United States is currently at 2.01 TFR, slightly below the replacement rate.  "We don't take a stance one way or the other on whether it's good or bad," said Mark Mather, demographer with the Population Reference Bureau. Small year-to-year changes like those experienced by the United States don't make much difference, he noted. But a sharp or sustained drop over a decade or more "will certainly have long-term consequences for society," he told Utah-based Desert News National.

Japan (1.4 TFR) and Russia (1.6 TFR) are experiencing among the sharpest population declines in the world. One manifestation in Japan is the data on diaper sales: Unicharm Corp., a major diaper maker, has seen sales of adult diapers outpace infant diapers since 2013, according to New York Times.

Median Age Map: Africa in teens, Pakistan in 20s, China, South America and US in 30s, Europe, Canada and Japan in 40s.


The Russian population grew from about 100 million in 1950 to almost149 million by the early 1990s. Since then, the Russian population has declined, and official reports put it at around 144 million, according to Yale Global Online.

Reversing Trends:

Countries, most recently China, are finding that it is far more difficult to raise low fertility than it is reduce high fertility. The countries in the European Union are offering a variety of incentives, including birth starter kits to assist new parents in Finland, cheap childcare centers and liberal parental leave in France and a year of paid maternity leave in Germany, according to Desert News. But the fertility rates in these countries remain below replacement levels.

Summary:

Overzealous Pakistani birth control advocates need to understand what countries with sub-replacement fertility rates are now seeing: Low birth rates lead to diminished economic growth. "Fewer kids mean fewer tax-paying workers to support public pension programs. An "older society", noted the late Nobel laureate economist Gary Becker, is "less dynamic, creative and entrepreneurial." Growing labor force n Pakistan can not only contribute to Pakistan's prosperity but also help alleviate the effects of aging populations and declining labor pools in more developed economies. I believe that Pakistan's growing population and young demographics should be seen as a blessing, not a curse.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Pakistan's Expected Demographic Dividend

Pakistan's Growing Human Capital

Upwardly Mobile Pakistan

Pakistan Most Urbanized in South Asia

Hindu Population Growth Rate in Pakistan

Do South Asian Slums Offer Hope?



Wednesday, June 28, 2017

US News Ranks Pakistan Among World's 20 Most Powerful Nations

American journal US News & World Report (USNWR), known for its university rankings, has ranked Pakistan as the 20th most powerful country in the world in 2017. The United States tops the list followed by Russia at number 2 and China at number 3. Among Pakistan's neighbors, Iran ranks 14th and India 16th on the list.  This latest ranking by an international publication is yet another indication of the failure of Indian leader Narendra Modi's sustained efforts to isolate Pakistan since he rose to power in 2014.

USNWR, Y&R BAV Consulting and Wharton Business School:

The US News & World Report says it developed the study and model used to score and rank countries with Y&R’s BAV Consulting and The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Source: US News and World Report

USNWR Methodology: 

The journal says it identified a set of 65 country attributes – terms that can be used to describe a country and that are also relevant to the success of a modern nation. It surveyed more than 21,000 people from around the world to assess each country in terms of these attributes. Survey participants decided how closely they associated an attribute with a nation.



Each nation was then scored on each of the 65 country attributes based on a collection of individual survey responses. The more a country was perceived to exemplify a certain characteristic in relation to the average, the higher that country’s attribute score and vice versa. These scores were normalized to account for outliers and transformed into a scale that could be compared across the board.

USNWR defines powerful country in terms of "a leader, economically influential, politically influential, strong international alliances, strong military".

The USNR ranking of Pakistan among the top 20 most powerful countries is yet another indication of the failure of Indian leader Narendra Modi's sustained efforts to isolate Pakistan since he rose to power in 2014.

Summary:

American journal US News & World Report (USNWR), respected for its US university rankings and other international rankings, has ranked Pakistan as the 20th most powerful country in the world in 2017.  This latest ranking by an international publication is yet another indication of the failure of Indian leader Narendra Modi's sustained efforts to isolate Pakistan since he rose to power in 2014.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Pakistan's Rising Middle Class

Smart Money to Follow China's Massive Investment in Pakistan

Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt About CPEC

Pakistan's 2nd Strike Capability and Nuclear Triad

Upwardly Mobile Pakistan

Arabs See Pakistan as Potential Superpower

Can Modi Isolate Pakistan?

Pakistan is Too Big to Fail


Sunday, June 25, 2017

World Champ Pakistan; Modi in Washington; Jadhav's Video

How did bottom-ranked Pakistan defeat higher-ranked teams, including the defending champion India, to win the Campions Trophy? Did the Pakistan Super League contribute to it? How did Mohammad Amir's return help Pakistan cricket? Who deserves credit and why? PSL Chief Najam Sethi? Captain Sarfaraz Ahmad? Coach Mickey Arthur? Aggressive new youngsters emerging from PSL?

What is the agenda for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the White House to meet President Trump? Defense deals? F-16s? Drones? H1B visas for Indians? US-India Alliance to check China's rise? Will the timing of a white ex-employee's lawsuit against Infosys influence the H1B discussion? Will this visit fuel US-China competition for world leadership? Is this a Thucydides Trap that could lead to war between US and China in South Asia region?

What is in the accused Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav's latest video recorded after his death sentence and released by Pakistan ISPR this week? Is the timing of the release important? Are additional new confessions of sponsoring acts of terror and the the mercy appeal part of Jadhav's attempt to save his life?

Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with panelists Misbah Azam and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)


https://youtu.be/FhP9FHDrItM




Related Links:

Haq's Musings

PSL's Role in Pakistan Winning Champions Trophy

Pakistan Cricket Board Revenue

History of US-India Partnership

How Strategic Are China-Pakistan Ties?

Trump Cracks Down on H1B Visas

Why is India Sponsoring Terror in Pakistan? 

Kulbhushan Jadhav's 2nd Confession Video

Talk4Pak Youtube Channel


Monday, June 19, 2017

PSL's Role in Pakistan's Meteoric Rise to ICC Championship 2017

Pakistan's national cricket team scored a historic win in Champions Trophy 2017 final against defending champions India on June 18th by the highest-ever margin of 180 runs in any ICC international tournament final. New players emerging from Pakistan Super League and the return of players like Mohammad Amir significantly strengthened the bottom-ranked Pakistan side to beat much higher-ranked teams, including India.

Pakistan Team Celebrating Champions Trophy 2017 Victory


Pakistan Team's Defiance:

The Pakistan team that barely made the cut to play in Champions Trophy as the 8th ranked team lost its very first match against arch-rival India by 124 runs in group B on June 4, 2017. Subsequently,  the team to went on to defeat top ranked South Africa, 4th ranked England and 7th ranked Sri Lanka to reach the trophy's final match against India.

Often described as "predictably unpredictable",  Pakistan XI bounced back strongly after being written off by most commentators and pundits. They demonstrated the resilience that also characterizes the people and the state of Pakistan both of which are often given the "failed" tag by Indian and western media.

Success Factors: 

There are many factors that are believed to have contributed to Pakistan's spectacular rise to the world champion status in international cricket. The team captain Sarfaraz Ahmad is not only a good leader but also a very good batsman-wicket keeper who keeps his cool under pressure. The return of aggressive paceman Mohammad Amir to the team after a long suspension for match-fixing has bolstered Pakistan's bowling attack. But, most of all, I believe it is the discovery and grooming of new talent in Pakistan Super League.

Pakistan Super League:

Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a T20 cricket league with 6 franchise teams-- one each in the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Multan. Multan franchise was just recently sold by PSL to the Schon Group for $41.6 million over 8 years. PSL generates millions of dollars in PCB income that helps promote cricket in the country. It also exposes new talent that would otherwise remain hidden.

Several youngsters in Pakistan side who shined in the recent Champions Trophy matches were selected after they played and performed well in PSL 2, the league's second season earlier this year. For example Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars), Hassan Ali (Peshawar Zalmi), Shadab Khan (Islamabad United),  Rumman Raees (Islamabad United).

Opener Fakhar Zaman gave Pakistan the rapid start it needed with the runs that built the foundation for other batsmen down the line to capitalize on; Mohammad Amir struck early with quick top order wickets and then Hassan Ali and Shadab Khan kept up the pressure with their aggressive bowling. These youngsters also energized the rest of the team, particularly the more senior low-performing players, to do better.

Credit to Najam Sethi:

PSL chairman Najam Sethi has played a crucial role in setting up the PSL that is giving young talent an opportunity to play with the best of international players and be discovered.  It's a platform that highlights Pakistan's young talent that can simply not be ignored by the Pakistan national team selectors.

Sethi can also be credited with bringing Mohammad Amir back into Pakistan team in the face of significant opposition by senior players, both former and current.

Summary:

New players emerging from PSL and the return of players like Mohammad Amir have significantly strengthened Pakistan side as witnessed by their historic win against higher-ranked teams, including India, in Champions Trophy 2017 held in the United Kingdom. PSL is also generating the needed revenue to promote cricket at the grassroots level. PSL, if used properly, can help Pakistan become a more powerful professional side using the best available talent in the country.

Related Links:













Sunday, June 18, 2017

Riaz Haq vs Cemendtaur on Merits of Civilian vs Military Rule in Pakistan

Pakistan has been ruled by the nation's military for about half of its existence since independence from Britain in 1947. The experience and data from the civilian and military rule has often been the subject of debate in Pakistan. Here are some of the key points of this debate:

1. What are the origins of modern political thought and democracy? What did Thomas Hobbs, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and other Enlightenment thinkers say about the underlying social contract, natural rights of the people and the role of the state? Are security and safety not pre-requisites for rule and law and democracy?  How do these ideas apply to Pakistan?

2. Has Pakistan made more socioeconomic progress under military rule or civilian rule? How have Pakistan's economic and human development indicators fared under military compared to civilian rule? Are there parallels between Pakistan and Asian Tigers?



3. Could the loss of the eastern wing of the country have been prevented in 1971 if the military did not rule Pakistan? Who contributed the most to the rupture? Was it the military or the politicians?



4. Is it fair to argue that India has never been ruled by he military when there are large parts of India with millions of Indians living under virtual martial law? Is it fair to say, as Arundhati Roy puts it, that Indian government has been perpetually at war with people it calls its own in Kashmir, Manipur,  Mizoram, Nagaland, Talangana and elsewhere?

Please view this debate in Urdu in two parts below:

https://youtu.be/JNZoWsdGtgQ





https://youtu.be/V7KyiEByXPA




Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Civilian Democracy vs Military Dictatorship in Pakistan

Musharraf's Legitimacy

Pakistan's Economic History

Civilians' Disappointing Report Card on Human Development

Is this a 1971 Moment in Pakistan's History?

Asian Dictators Brought Prosperity; Democracy Followed

Talk4Pak Youtube Channel

Saturday, June 17, 2017

India-Pakistan Champions Final; Panama JIT; Trump Under Investigation

What is so special about India-Pakistan final in Champions Trophy at the Oval in London? How did 8th ranked Pakistan succeed in making it to the final after the team in green was written off at the early stages of the tournament? Why is it likely to be one of the most watched televised sports events in the world? Will there be corruption and payoffs to influence the outcome? Who is most likely to win? Is it an opportunity for India-Pakistan cricket diplomacy?

What does the history-making appearance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif before joint investigating team (JIT) to investigate corruption mean? Is it good or bad for accountability and democracy in Pakistan? What are the various likely outcomes of the Panama Leaks case now before the Supreme Court of Pakistan?

Why is President Donald Trump being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Muller for the obstruction of justice in FBI Director Comey's firing? Why are Vice President Mike Pence, Trump son-in-law and White House aide Jerrold Kushner and others hiring their own lawyers? Are they too caught up in the investigation?

Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with Misbah Azam and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)

https://youtu.be/oIWYCWXvsT0





Related Links:

Haq's Musings

India-Pakistan Cricket Diplomacy

Pakistan Cricket Board

London's British Pakistani Mayor Sadiq Khan

Panama Leaks Corruption Investigation in Pakistan

FBI Director Comey's Firing

Trump Appointments

Talk4Pak Youtube Channel


Sunday, June 11, 2017

Dozen British Pakistanis Elected to UK Parliament in Elections 2017

Twelve British Pakistanis, including 5 women, have been elected members of parliament (MPs) in recent elections held in the United Kingdom, according to media reports.  Seven of them are members of the Labor Party and three belong to the Conservative Party. This sets a new record with the increase of two MPs from the May 2012 elections that resulted in the election of 10 MPs of Pakistani origin. British Pakistanis make up 1.8% of the British population, about the same as their representation in the House of Commons.

Six of the Twelve British-Pakistani MPs
British Pakistani MPs and Peers:

In addition to the 12 British Pakistanis in the House of Commons, there are 8 members of the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament, bringing the total strength of British Pakistanis in the UK parliament to 20. Most of them are from very humble backgrounds in rural Pakistan. Majority of Pakistanis in the UK are from Mirpur and its surrounding villages in Azad Kashmir. They or their parents migrated to Britain when they were given compensation by Pakistani government for their land to make way for the building of the massive Mangla Dam after the signing of the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan in 1960. Five of the twelve British Pakistani MPs in the new parliament are from Azad Kashmir.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan:

Last year saw the election of Sadiq Khan as mayor of London, making him the first Muslim mayor of a major western capital city. Mayor Sadiq Khan is also of Pakistani-origin. Khan's father migrated to Britain in 1960s and worked as a London bus driver. Khan comes from a family of two generations of immigrants: His grandparents migrated from what is now India to the newly created state of Pakistan in 1947 and his parents migrated from Karachi to London in 1969. Sadiq Khan was born in London in 1970.

British Pakistanis' Struggles:

While the British Pakistanis have made some headway in the public sector in their new home, they continue to face discrimination, particularly in the private sector.  A 2016 study by the government’s Social Mobility Commission found that the "children of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin in Britain have outperformed other ethnic groups to achieve rapid improvements at every level of education, but are significantly less likely to be employed in managerial or professional jobs than their white counterparts".

The study said that the "minority ethnic pupils (including Pakistanis) are outperforming white working class children in English tests throughout school, with white British teenagers coming bottom of the pile in the subject at GCSE level".



British Pakistani Doctors: 

Pakistan is the second largest source of doctors of foreign origin serving in the United Kingdom, according to OECD. Indians make up 34% of the foreign doctors in Britain, followed by 11% from Pakistan.

Summary:

British Pakistanis have achieved significant success in spite of their humble origins and discrimination they face in their adopted home. 12 of them serve as members of the House of Commons and 8 in the House of Lords. Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, the first Muslim leader of a major western capital, is the son of a London bus driver who migrated from Pakistan. British Pakistani children are outperforming their white working class peers in schools. British Pakistani doctors are the second largest population of doctors of foreign origin in the United Kingdom.  The British Pakistanis are among the best of the Pakistani diaspora, or any diaspora, in the world.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Pakistani Diaspora

British Pakistanis

London Mayor Sadiq Khan

British Pakistani Singer Zayn

Pakistan 3rd Largest Source of Foreign Doctors in America

Pakistanis Make Up Largest Foreign-Born Muslim Group in Silicon Valley

Pakistanis in Silicon Valley

Massive Show of Support for Silicon Valley Muslims After Trump Ban

Comey Testimony; SCO Summit; British Elections; Qatar Crisis

What are the key takeaways from fired FBI Director James Comey testimony to the Senate about his interactions with President Trump? Will this testimony help or hurt President Trump? Will it lead to charges by Special Counsel Robert Mueller against Mr. Trump for perjury or obstruction of justice? Can the President be indicted? Will the President be impeached by Republican Congress?

What does the membership of Pakistan and India in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) mean? Is it a confirmation that India has failed in its attempts to isolate Pakistan? Will SCO leaders help defuse tensions in South Asia?

What caused the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations led by Saudi Arabia to isolate and blockade Qatar? What is the US position on the situation? How will it affect American troops and CentCom regional HQ located in Qatar? How will this affect Iran and the Gulf? Is there a risk that Pakistan will be sucked into this crisis?

Why did British PM Theresa May misjudge the public mood when she called early parliamentary elections? Will the outcome with reduced Tory representation hurt Brexit negotiations with the European Union? How many British Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis got elected to the British parliament this time? Could they with their humble backgrounds have had similar success in their countries of origin?

Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with panelists Misbah Azam and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)


https://youtu.be/KQV-flkfzBs





Related Links:

Haq's Musings

FBI Director Comey's Firing

Flynn Seeks Immunity

India Succeeding in Isolating Pakistan?

Iran-Saudi Conflict

Brexit Vote

Talk4Pak Youtube Channel



Sunday, June 4, 2017

Trump's Paris Accord Pullout; India's Slowing Economy; Kabul Blast; Panama JIT

Why did President Trump pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Deal? How will this impact the United States and the world? Can US still lead on matters related to energy? Will China and Europe pick up the mantle of world leadership on climate change and clean energy? Will US growing isolation cost American jobs?

Why has India's GDP growth slowed to 6.1% in Jan-March 2017 from 7.1% earlier? Is it the result of demonetization? Why has bank credit growth declined to just 5%, the slowest in 60 years? Is the growth in non-performing loans taking a toll on new lending by ailing public sector banks? How will it affect job growth in India?

Who is responsible for the massive Kabul blast that caused tragic loss of 100 lives? Did the Haqqanis do it? Why is the Afghan intelligence blaming it on Pakistan? How will the United States deal with the deteriorating situation after 16 years of war in Afghanistan? Will the Taliban accept talking with the Afghan and US representatives?

Does PMLN Senator Nihal Hashmi's scathing attack on judiciary and bureaucracy reflect the inner thinking within the Sharif family and the PMLN leadership? Is it an attempt to intimidate the judges and the bureaucrats involved investigating corruption allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members? Are they having a hard time dealing with accountability as never seen before by a ruling party in Pakistan?

Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with Ali H. Cemendtaur and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)

https://youtu.be/jMkseal7jgg





Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Trump's Policies

Pakistan's Response to Climate Change

Is Modi Fudging Indian GDP Figures? 

India's Demonetization Disaster

Gen Petraeus on Pakistan's Support of Haqqanis

Panama Leaks Corruption Scandal

Talk4Pak Youtube Channel