Category: Opinion

After a long period of neglect and successive electoral defeats, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has dared to jump back into the political landscape of central Punjab that is dominated by the PML-N and fiercely contested by the PTI. Is there any social and political space that is still left for him to grab? Is there a traditional…

The year 2016 passed without any possible reversal of democratic transition – which was being desperately sought – and we enter 2017 with the hope to move ahead and consolidate the representative system via elections in 2018 after the completion of the term of yet another elected government. A great leap forward indeed in a…

Living history is not a mere collation of incidents and events but, more importantly, a reservoir of wisdom and intellect which must constantly be drawn upon – a reservoir created by great minds and statesmen. Some of these great men of words, statesmen, include Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed. But today,…

With the hiatus in conspiracies and an end to yet another bumpy phase of the interplay of power-politics, the country seems to be coming back to the normalcy of a fragile democratic transition that started with the deal between Benazir Bhutto and Gen Pervez Musharraf, which cost the former her life. It was never easy…

In reality, Bangladesh achieved its independence on 16th December, when arms were laid by Pakistan Army before the Indian Army. Pakistan did not want to surrender to the Bangladeshi freedom fighters. But obviously, Bangladesh celebrates her Independence Day on 26th March when Awami League declared independence in 1971 after the negotiations failed and an army…

The speculation mills are running at an all-time high, with lobbyists busy round the clock to promote their favourites as a very popular, successful and domineering COAS is about to step down. Last time, the prime minister had chosen the IG of Training and Evaluation, who had not lobbied at all, as the new COAS…

I noticed with wonder when advocate Naeem Bukhari placed an order for a second samosa after having one at the cafeteria of the Supreme Court before proceeding to the Court Room No.1 to prosecute Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on November 17. I could not figure out how he can handle a case after eating two…

Pakistan Peoples’ Party has reorganized the provincial level set up to take a lead in 2018 general elections. An analysis of the impact of this change in PPP with reference to the politics of Pakistan is not an out of place exercise. The PPP is an old party, one that has a presence all over…

Another school has been burnt down in the Valley. This is the 25th in the last two months. What it conveys is that those who are fighting for separation from India are not interested in education. They want the boys to turn into stone-pelters. How does this help the youth? I was recently in Srinagar…

If the records and cassettes of master ghazal singer, Mehdi Hassan, were not pirated, he would not have needed anybody’s help today on his sickbed. He would have been a millionaire in terms of dollars from his royalty earnings. He is not an isolated case. Many singers, musicians, writers, film and television producers and even…