Afrah Jamal

Published by Global Affairs / Dec 2016 Written 2 days after the US Elections. Should've been published when it still had relevance . To many he will represent the face of the Dark Side. The tragic contamination of the American Dream, a malware in the code; the alternate ending that never made the cut. Post Election America has currently misplaced the veneer of respectability needed to conduct business and assert its authority. And without these props, its least favorable attributes could become representative of its core values. It is a twist; but not entirely unexpected. For there were undercurrents of inherent racism, growing paranoia, fear of the unknown already in play – fears that came from a very real place. And now those fears have assumed a tangible form. What does this mean for the rest? The world seemed to take it personally. Even nations under the yoke of their own despots, puppets and monarchs; that had squandered human rights, relegated women and minorities

Published in Voice of Vienna & Global Affairs (Oct 2016) Narendra Modi made a telling remark regarding Baluchistan and Kashmir in his Independence Day speech (August 15, 2016). Something about the past few days and how the people of Balochistan, Gilgit, and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir thanked him. There was something else about the citizens of neighboring Pakistan expressing gratitude, and good wishes – which admittedly is an odd thing to do. “The people who are living far away, whom I have never seen, never met – such people have expressed appreciation for Prime Minister of India, for 125 crore countrymen. This is an honour for our countrymen.” The Indian Prime Minister has finally owned up in public to what Pakistan has been accusing India of doing all along – which is supporting and exporting terrorism in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. While China has pricked its ears, though the statement was directed at Pakistan, Baloch leaders in exile publicly thanked the speechmake

Please Be Advised: The Kashmir Article in Global Affairs ( Sep 2016) published under my name is NOT by me. This is the 2nd time this has happened. Terrible Oversight. I have never written on Kashmir. DO not intend to start now.

Published in Global Affairs The border, known as the Durand Line that runs between Pakistan and Afghanistan is 2450 Km long and was drawn by the British, accepted by Afghanistan and inherited by Pakistan. The agreement came into effect during the Great Game in 1893 and had held during the third Anglo Afghan War. The subsequent partition did not void the contract as far as Pakistan was concerned. By 1949 however, Afghanistan had decided to view the boundary as an imaginary line. And therein lies the rub. Because 21st century security challenges are unlike any other and engaging in political brinkmanship at such a time only weakens both parties. Notwithstanding Kabul’s refusal to acknowledge the divide, the border status has been internationally recognized. Over the years this ‘imaginary line’ has been used for everything from illegal trafficking and trade to delivering aid packages for Mujahedin, export/import of radical ideas and hosting a mostly one sided refugee exchange progra

Published in Global Affairs / Aug 2016 Mr. Modi sold India – as progressive, liberal, enlightened - shining ever so brightly; everything a carefully nurtured democracy ought to be. His bedazzled audience might find no flaw in this beautifully crafted, perfectly airbrushed version. The Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the United States further burnished his nation’s image as an investment haven, strategic buffer and new best friend / ally. Because it wants the world to buy into its noble agenda and a lot is riding on the lavish spectacle on display for western consumption. Modi’s overtures to the American people appeared to be well received. He conferred with Obama, addressed the joint session of U.S. Congress, casually waved shared ideals to establish rapport and received numerous standing ovations. The media actually kept a tally. He was the man of the hour whose work ethic and rags to riches story must have resonated with the western world. His pitch perfect performan

Published in Global Affairs / July 2016 Edition Pakistan made a troubling discovery in its backyard recently. Notwithstanding his mild mannered appearance, Kulbhushan Jadhav (sometimes spelt as Yadav) has been positively identified as an Indian national, a Commander in the Indian Navy with a preference for aliases. He is currently using the name Hussein Mubarak Patel. Initial interrogation had also brought to light his role as the ring leader of a large network of spies and saboteurs operating indiscriminately in Pakistan’s Balochistan province and the city of Karachi at the behest of the premier Indian Intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). From the Pakistani vantage point Jadhav’s arrest qualified as an intelligence coup. The Indian reaction predictably was one of denial. Jadhav was immediately disavowed but in the face of compelling evidence, they grudgingly acknowledged him as one of their own even as they continued to maintain that he had retired from

Also, not how I spell my name.