Adil Najam

WikiLeaks – the leak that keeps on leaking – is now leaking in and on Pakistan.

As of today, Dawn has begun releasing a string of stories based on WikiLeaks documents as part of “The Pakistan Papers.” Based on some 4700 cables related to Pakistan that have been made available as a result of an agreement between Dawn and Julian Assange, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, the newspaper and its website have now begun a slow release of juicy stories about Pakistan on its website and newspaper.

They have, obviously, culled the most exciting stories to start with a bang: the Army Chief wanted more drone strikes, the US was unset with President Zardari’s politics, Shahbaz Sharif was willing to remove the Chief Justice after restoration, government officials were urging more drone strikes. All juicy stuff. Even though some of the denials have already begun coming in.

Hassan Abbas

(Editor’s Note: The Asia Society today launches a new study group report on Pakistan titled “Pakistan 2020: A Vision for Building a Better Future.” In this essay, first published at CNN.com, Dr. Hassan Abbas, the Project Director for this Study, highlights his own personal thoughts on the report and its findings. Full report can be accessed here. A video of the panel discussion at the launch of the report is available here).

In recent years Pakistan has stumbled from one crisis to another. Reeling from a deadly insurgency on the country’s western border, its democratic government has struggled to establish even a modicum of stability. The people of Pakistan have shown amazing resilience even as they face rising terrorist activity, severe economic distress and perennial regional tensions.

That Osama bin Laden was hiding in plain sight in a compound less than a mile from Pakistan’s national military academy is troubling, to say the least. If Pakistan’s intelligence missed him completely, then it was a case of criminal negligence. If there was collusion of some sort, that will be an even more dire piece of news.
Yet Pakistan needs more attention and understanding from its most important ally, the United States, and from the rest of the world. Now is not the time for the world to turn its back on Pakistan.

Adil Najam

With all the turmoil that all institutions of leadership in Pakistan are going through right now in the wake of the Abbottabad operation, this seems to be a good time to gauge if public opinion – or at least reader opinion on this blog – has changed regarding the performance of Pakistani leadership.

So, for the fifth time now, we are posting this ATP Poll question to request our readers to please grade the performance of the key figures in Pakistan politics. We had asked you to respond to the same question in December 2010, in October 2010 and in April 2010 and earlier in 2009 (here and here). We had presented the comparison between the first two results here.