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Jadhav’s verdict - How Pakistan still wins

02:20 PM | 21 May, 2017
Jadhav’s verdict - How Pakistan still wins
Global politics works on certain tested tools, the control of ‘hope and fear’ being one of them, and ‘geopolitical scripting’ is a tool to control that tool. Before the Invasion of Iraq, Bush’s repeated use of the scripts ‘us’ and ‘them’ divided the world into two separate spheres, of ‘hope’ that the US’ War on Terror will save them from terrorist attacks, and of ‘fear’ of being declared a terrorist state or of harboring terrorism. And in the sway of this rhetoric, the US was able to collapse many countries of its disliking.

It is true that a strong narrative does not sustain without a strong projection of power alongside, yet they both fill in the gaps left by the other. Nevertheless, mankind has always shown to be more manageable where consent exists, while the weakest might give a formidable resistance where there is a clash of ideology. So in today’s times, being able to project a strong narrative defines a nation’s level of sovereignty, while a weak narrative opens it to fear and intimidation.

Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case is also one of controlling the fear/hope space between India and Pakistan. If we are able to deconstruct the myth of false hopes and groundless fears, perhaps we may be able to recognise our friends and foes more clearly and act more reasonably in our international deliberations.

Viewing things in the global perspective make is clear that Jadhav’s case is not merely of local implication. To start with, Obama’s failure to pivot the Pacific states against China as he offered them the free-market glare and massive arms deals – isolated the US in the western Pacific and weakened its aggressive stance on the South China Sea Issue. Couple that with the US retreat in the case of Syria and Russia’s finding the gap to assert its strength in Syria, strengthening Iran along the way – and you will find the paucity of the narrative the US is facing in the global arena at this time.

On the other hand, Pakistan has been a constant thorn in the feet that impedes progress in Afghanistan for both the US and India. All this has made the US and India closer than ever, with the US selling it the dream of a global economy and regional hegemony. The dream is not false, it can be true, India has the immense human resource that can convert it into the new China, and it is huge enough to cater for US capitalist needs. But what stands in the way of this dream are a threatened China and an encouraged Russia, who have come closer to strengthen Pakistan against India.

In this backdrop, when India has forsaken all friends inside Asia for a dream the US sells it, and when India is the only potential partner that has shown loyalty to US interests in the region, it is easy to see that Pakistan is in a politically dominant position as opposed to India’s. If we add here geo-economic factors like the CPEC and future gas lines that pass from Pakistan into India and the fact that Iran’s Chabahar Port is not deep enough to dock large containerships and needs to connect to Gawadar if it wants to operate in large-scale, we see how Pakistan is winning via its geography over India.

So should Pakistan as a nation, enclose itself in the fear of disgrace in the world community over the ICJ verdict that has ordered it to hold Jadhav’s execution for the time. Or understand that this is the US and its partner India’s desperate attempt of gathering a narrative of righteousness against Pakistan, while the world increasingly abhors US-style expansionism and unilateralism. A narrative under whose guise they may later valorously portray physical strength too.

It is clear that the US who has always extensively used its influence over the UN and its bodies is using it this time to influence the ICJ’s in a bid to gain a momentum for India. Kulbhushan Jadhav is only one person and we must understand that taking him back to India will not be a moral victory for India and will only mark it as a hegemon, who can portray might without necessarily being right, and whom everyone in the neighbourhood should fear.

India wins only if it is able to destabilise our political soundness, or is able to assert a moral precedence upon us. While we win only by standing our grounds and portraying the true narrative that we have been a double-victim, of India’s terrorism and ICJ’s bias. Because as of now, the gravity of situations is shifting both geopolitics and geoeconomics into our laps.

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Pakistani rupee remains stable against US Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal and Dirham; Check forex rates

Pakistani rupee remained stable against the US dollar, and other currencies in the open market on Friday.

Dollar Rate in Pakistan Today

On Friday, the US dollar remained stable and was being quoted at 283.2 for buying and 286.15 for selling.

Euro comes down to 308 for buying and 311 for selling. British Pound rate dropped to 358.5 for buying, and 362 for selling.

UAE Dirham AED witnessed slight drop and new rate stands at 77.4 whereas the Saudi Riyal remained stable at 76.

Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan - 8 December 2023

Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 283.2 286.15
Euro EUR 308 311
UK Pound Sterling GBP 358.5 362
U.A.E Dirham AED 77.4 78.1
Saudi Riyal SAR 76 76.8
Australian Dollar AUD 187.2 189
Bahrain Dinar BHD 757.23 765.23
Canadian Dollar CAD 209 211
China Yuan CNY 39.89 40.29
Danish Krone DKK 41.19 41.59
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 36.41 36.71
Indian Rupee INR 3.42 3.53
Japanese Yen JPY 1.39 1.45
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 921.71 930.71
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 61.02 61.62
New Zealand Dollar NZD 174.54 176.54
Norwegians Krone NOK 26.05 26.35
Omani Riyal OMR 739.62 747.62
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR 78.22 78.92
Singapore Dollar SGD 211 213
Swedish Korona SEK 27.12 27.42
Swiss Franc CHF 324.94 327.44
Thai Bhat THB 8.06 8.21

Gold prices in Pakistan increase; Check out latest rates here

Gold price in Pakistan increased as the yellow metal witnessed an upward trend in the international market.

Gold Rates in Pakistan Today - 8 December 2023

On Friday, the price of a single tola of 24-karat gold stands at Rs217,400 and 10 grams of 24k gold costs Rs186,390.

Single tola of 22 Karat Gold costs Rs199,282, 21 karat rate for per tola is Rs190,225 and 18k gold rate is Rs163,050 each tola.

In the global market, gold prices hover at around $2026, gaining $8.30 on Friday.

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

Today Gold Price in Pakistan (8 December 2023)

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Karachi PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Islamabad PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Peshawar PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Quetta PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Sialkot PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Attock PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Gujranwala PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Jehlum PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Multan PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Bahawalpur PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Gujrat PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Nawabshah PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Chakwal PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Hyderabad PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Nowshehra PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Sargodha PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Faisalabad PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583
Mirpur PKR 217,400 PKR 2,583

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