General's desk
Ukraine’s Offensive: Is This The Last-Ditch Battle?
In the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, since April 2023 we have been constantly hearing of a likely ‘counter-offensive’ by Ukraine to overcome the negatives of the alleged defeat at…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Pakistan, With Head Above The Water : Way The Cookie Crumbles
I am becoming increasingly more confident at answering the inevitable question about Pakistan that is thrown at me in seminars, interviews and interactions on geopolitics. The question revolves around Pakistan’s…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
G20 In Srinagar : Threats And Opportunities
With two days left for the G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting in Srinagar on May 22-24, 2023, national and international focus on this unusual event is becoming rife. There are…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Surviving The Burnout: A Virtual Coup By The Pakistan Army Is Already In The Making
Pakistan has been in turmoil for some time, especially since its economy started showing signs of near-total collapse a little more than a year ago. The IMF placed tough conditions…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
The 9 PARA (SF) Setback Is Temporary : Bounceback Is Inevitable
India’s Special Forces (SF) are its pride and the entire nation follows their actions and achievements with great interest. Hence the setback on May 5 in a recent operation in…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
The Poonch Terrorist Attack Has Big Strategic Implications
On 20 April 2023 a convoy of vehicles of the Army was targeted by terrorists between Bhimbar Gali and Poonch in the Jammu region. One Army 2.5-ton truck was struck…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
SIACHEN 1987 : A Story Forgotten
Siachen is one of those battlefields from where very little information flows rearwards. Great feats of valour remain buried there, forgotten with nary a memory. Over time a ceasefire has…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Drawing Down The Army In J&K – Right But Risky
The ethno-nationalist conflict of Northern Ireland, although in existence for long, began in its last avatar in the late Sixties and ended with the Good Friday Agreement in 1997. It…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
The Payoffs Of Disaster Diplomacy
At least two devastating earthquakes in the region of the Türkiye-Syria border near the south eastern province of Kahramanmaras, north of Gaziantep and near the border of Syria, have left…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Pakistan Under Unending Strain : Part II
‘If the economic situation does not lead to its collapse, its militant groups will ensure prevention of its survival’ Part I of this essay emphasized on getting the background right,…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Pakistan Under Unending Strain – Part 1
Pakistan has for long, been heading towards a situation where it could be perceived as a failed state, or at least a state under immense strain. Everything that goes into…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Why the Victory of 1971 Must Remain a Psychological Landmark
In India the mention of ‘1971’, in a gathering or individually, evokes elative sentiments of victory. Having defeated Pakistan comprehensively on the battlefield, attained both the political and military objectives…
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
