Riaz Haq's Blog (1,530)

Indian River Projects Threaten Bangladesh Water Security

New Delhi is starting massive series of new projects to divert water from major rivers in the north and the east of the country to India's drought-stricken western and southern regions. This news has sounded alarm bells in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, according to the UK's Guardian newspaper.

The $400 billion project involves…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 20, 2016 at 8:00am — 13 Comments

Did the West Sow the Seeds of ISIS?

The Middle East continues to threaten global peace a century after British and French representatives, Sir Mark Sykes and Francois Georges Picot, signed the Sykes-Picot agreement named after them. This accord, concluded on May 19, 1916, divided the region extending from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean between the two colonial powers.…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 17, 2016 at 9:13pm — 10 Comments

Pakistanis Make Up Silicon Valley's Largest Foreign-Born Muslim Group

Pakistani-Americans are the largest foreign-born Muslim group in San Francisco Bay Area that includes Silicon Valley, according to a 2013 study. The study was commissioned by the One Nation Bay Area Project, a civic engagement program supported by Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, Marin Community Foundation and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.

 Overall, US-born Muslims make up the largest percentage at 34% of all Muslims in…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 16, 2016 at 9:00pm — 13 Comments

Trump’s Backtrack on Muslim Ban; India’s Map Law; Pakistan Commission on Corruption

Donald Trump has said his Muslim ban "hasn't been called for yet" and it was "only a suggestion". Is the presumptive Republican nominee for president backing away from his call "for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States"? If so, why? Has the Republican party helped him understand how the GOP's dog-whistle campaigns work? Will Trump's racism and…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 15, 2016 at 8:00am — 3 Comments

Eight Non-Muslim Leaders in Muslim Majority Countries

Are there any non-Muslims in leadership positions in majority Muslim countries? This question is being repeatedly asked by many after the historic election of a British Pakistani Muslim Sadiq Khan as London's mayor.

The answer is: There are at least 8. Here's a brief list as reported in UK's …

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 11, 2016 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Republican Party's Racist Politics Produced Donald Trump

Is today's Republican Party still the party of Abraham Lincoln, the celebrated American president who fought the American civil war to end slavery in 1860s? How could the rank-and-file members of this party vote overwhelmingly for a racist xenophobic demagogue like Donald Trump?…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 9, 2016 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Will Trump Learn From Zac Goldsmith's Defeat at the Hands of British Muslim Sadiq Khan?

British Pakistani Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan of London told Londoners in his historic victory speech after the official confirmation of his landslide win that “I’m so proud that London has today chosen hope over fear and unity over division”…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 7, 2016 at 9:30pm — 3 Comments

Are Londoners Ready to Make History By Electing Pakistani British Muslim Mayor?

Opinion polls conducted a day before the May 5 London mayoral election are showing a 20-point lead for Labor Party's British Pakistani Muslim mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan over his Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith, brother of Imran Khan's ex-wife Jemima Khan. Is London ready to make history?…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 4, 2016 at 8:00pm — No Comments

OPEN Forum 2016 Brings Together 700 Pakistani-American Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley

OPEN Forum 2016 in Silicon Valley drew over 700  Pakistani-American entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, bankers, accountants, lawyers and high-tech executives to Santa Clara Convention Center on Saturday, April 30, 216. The forum featured keynotes by Qasar Younus, the…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 1, 2016 at 10:00pm — 4 Comments

Only 27% in Pakistan Identify as Pakistanis First

Only 27% of the people in Pakistan identify themselves as Pakistanis first while 51% of Indians see themselves as Indians first. On the other hand, 43% of Pakistanis (vs 17% of Indians) say their religious identity comes first, according to …

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 29, 2016 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Is Musharraf Corrupt?

A story alleging corruption by former President Pervez Musharraf has appeared recently in Pakistan's Jang Media Group publications  in the aftermath of the Panama Leaks that revealed the names of 220 rich and powerful Pakistanis owning offshore accounts.…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 24, 2016 at 8:30pm — 14 Comments

India's Pakistan Obsession Seen During US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's Delhi Visit

Is the United States trying to play the India card against China while India is much more obsessed with Pakistan? Is the Indian behavior reinforcing the India-Pakistan hyphenation that the Indians claim to detest?…



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Added by Riaz Haq on April 18, 2016 at 9:43pm — 11 Comments

Pak Leaders in London; US-India Defense Deals; Trump vs GOP

Why are all of Pakistan’s top political leaders, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, gathered in London in the wake of the Panama Leaks Scandal? Is it just a coincidence? Or is it to deal with the Panama Leaks fall-out? Or is it to forge an alliance with PPP boss Asif Zardari? Or Nawaz Sharif really needs medical attention… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on April 17, 2016 at 5:48pm — 3 Comments

Pakistan Remittances Rising Amid Falling Oil Prices

Pakistani diaspora sent home $19.3 billion in remittances in 2015, representing 12.8 % increase over 2014, according to a World Bank Report titled "Migration and Development Brief" released today.

Pakistan's $19.3 billion in remittance make up 6.9% of 2014 GDP, essentially…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 14, 2016 at 10:00pm — 7 Comments

Panama Leaks in Pakistan; US Defense Secretary in India; ZarbeAzb in Punjab; MQM in Karachi By-elections

What do leaked Panama Papers reveal about Pakistani politicians, judges, businessmen and media owners? Where did PM Nawaz Sharif’s sons get the funds to start shell companies and open offshore accounts when they were just teenagers? How should PM Nawaz Sharif respond to the leaks? Should he accept responsibility and resign as demanded by PTI chief Imran Khan? Or should he come clean, pay back taxes and apologize… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on April 12, 2016 at 8:31am — 9 Comments

Why Does Pakistan Need F-16s to Fight Terror?

Pakistan is looking to buy more F-16s from the United States. There's mounting opposition to such sales as witnessed recently when President Barack Obama approved the sale of just 8 F-16s to the country.

India Lobby:

This decision by the Obama administration's decision triggered the Indian spin machine to go into high gear. The campaign orchestrated by the Indian…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 9, 2016 at 9:00pm — 6 Comments

Fashion Pakistan Week 2016 in Karachi

Top fashion designers Maheen Khan, Deepak Perwani, Wardha Saleem, Obaid Shaikh, Sanam Chaudhri and others are showing their latest creations at the ongoing Pakistan Fashion Week in Karachi, Pakistan. It's being sponsored by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. In addition to domestic and foreign media, there are also several international buyers from overseas chain stores attending the show.



Here are a few pictures from the fashion show:…





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Added by Riaz Haq on April 8, 2016 at 10:00am — 7 Comments

American Right-Wing Hindus Defeated in California Textbook Battle

Indian RSS-backed Hindutva outfits have suffered a major setback in a decade-long war to insert their version of South Asian history in California textbooks, according to media reports.

Whitewash Of Indian History: 

After recent successes in India,  the right-wing Hindu groups are now attempting to …

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 5, 2016 at 8:30pm — 12 Comments

India Unhappy With Changes to US H1B Visa Program

India has recently complained to the World Trade Organization against the United States over changes to visas for skilled workers that Republican presidential candidates have targeted for elimination, according to a report in the UK's Financial Times.

The WTO revealed that India had requested consultations with the US over moves by Washington to raise fees for L1 and H1B…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 2, 2016 at 4:30pm — 40 Comments

Kulbhushan Yadav: Can Pakistan's ISPR Match India's Spin Machine?

The recent release of a 6-minute video confession of Indian intelligence officer arrested by Pakistan has been met by a furious disinformation campaign by the Indian government and Indian media. Their aim is to obfuscate the damning confession and discredit ISPR's fact-based claims. What ISPR and Pakistan government need to understand is that having facts on your side is not sufficient to make your case; it…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 30, 2016 at 8:30pm — 10 Comments

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    Blog Posts

    Biden's Gaza Ceasefire Veto Defies American Public Opinion

    Aaron Bushnell, an active serviceman in the United States Air Force, burned himself to death in front of the Israeli Embassy in protest against the US policy in Gaza. Before setting himself on fire in what he called an "extreme act of protest", he said he would "no longer be complicit in genocide". Polls show that the vast majority (63%) of Americans want an immediate end to the carnage being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza.  …

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on February 27, 2024 at 5:30pm

    Pakistan Elections: Imran Khan's Supporters Skillfully Used Tech to Defy Powerful Military

    Independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) party emerged as the largest single block with 93 seats in the nation's parliament in the general elections held on February 8, 2024.  This feat was accomplished in spite of huge obstacles thrown in front of the PTI's top leader Imran Khan and his party leaders and supporters by Pakistan's powerful military…

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on February 16, 2024 at 9:22pm — 1 Comment

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