Afrah Jamal

First Published in Economic Affairs (Pakistan) / Dec 2013 Issue The PM reportedly smiled during joint exercises held in the aftermath of an American strike that took out TTP mastermind Hakimullah Mehsud . It was triggered by one little demo, where a drone was downed - by us, in real time - with some 35mm Oerlikon guns. A year ago Pakistan had put its pet drone technology on display in the International Defense Exhibition & Seminar (IDEAS ). The interest in drone tech surfaces from time to time. It is usually preceded by a laundry list of demands that yoyo between two distinct themes - American drones (shoot ‘em), and NATO supply routes (shut ‘em). Those who bore witness to Pak armed forces fearsome capability and (drone) targeting skills in “ Azm-e-Nau 4” , naturally wonder when and if they will ever get to use them. Our ROE’s (Rules of Engagements) permit action against combat aircraft that violate the airspace provided the wreckage falls within our territory. The last claus...

First Published in SHE Magazine / Dec 2012 The other day cricketer turned politician Imran Khan was unceremoniously hauled off a plane and detained for questioning in Toronto over his anti drone stance . Khan does not like drones. The Taliban do not care for them either. Ordinary Pakistanis are passionate about sovereignty, and conflicted about how to handle the ‘safe haven’ situation, which leaves them reaching for the pitcher of outrage after every violation. The past six years has seen a noticeable spike in drone strikes followed by rising temperatures on the ground. The people on ‘ground zero’ interestingly do not necessarily share these sentiments and might even go along with the idea of using targeted strikes to eliminate a common enemy. More on these people can be found in Irfan Husain’s excellent book Fatal Faultlines – Pakistan, Islam & the West . WikiLeaks cables place the State on the scene when covert wars became an active part of the scenery. Pakistan i...

Published in Daily Times / Saturday, April 23, 2011 Reviewed By Afrah Jamal By Daniel Domscheit-Berg with Tina Klopp A leaked video, allegedly of ‘the most dangerous man in the world’ on the dance floor is doing rounds on the internet these days . As Assange himself will tell you,“ Nothing is sacred anymore .” Those who picture WikiLeaks — the whistle-blowing website — as an impregnable fortress with Julian Assange its modern day warrior casually brandishing incendiary matter will also find Julian’s accomplice busily stripping away its veneer of invincibility and with that, its founder’s credibility . The duo is known for upsetting the global applecart of secrets and lies and if the truth is ‘ out there ’, it is because of one Julian Assange and Daniel Domscheit-Berg who put it there . From secret US military intelligence documents and diplomatic cables to contents of Sarah Palin’s private emails and handbooks from Guantanamo Bay, first American fraternity and Scientology, ...