Editorial

BJP’s confidence about securing an outright majority (400 paar) for the third time in a row in polls held in June faltering in the face of resignation felt by voters in India had given the minority groups some relief. With cautious optimism, many went so far as to hope for the coalition government to tone […]

In the realm of international relations, the diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have always been a subject of interest and scrutiny. The bilateral relationship has often experienced a deep freeze, largely due to war trumpets blown by the former Awami-led government in Dhaka. There have been minimal people-to-people contacts, heavy visa restrictions, and delegations […]

Peace in the Middle East has become several shades more elusive in the wake of the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, a prominent Arab figure in generations known for standing up to Israeli forces and leading a cut-throat “most heavily armed non-state actor,” that too, despite US pressure. The timing of the Israeli airstrikes penetrating Beirut […]

Begging as a profession is not a new phenomenon. With the notorious mafia spread to major cities, we have grown accustomed to their presence, apart from occasional commentary on them reflecting societal degradation. Things have come to a point that their existence as a direct violation of Pakistan’s law (Vagrancy Ordinance, 1958), under which beggars […]

In diplomacy, a little of something goes a long way. It took tremendous courage for Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to call a spade a spade in the clearest of terms, painting a vivid picture of the suffering of Palestinians, especially as many in the West continue to defend Israel’s right to war. Not mincing words, […]

Intolerance is rife in today’s world, especially in Pakistan–a country whose political culture remains tainted by its lack of respect for others. However, the sight of scorn and rage running rampant on social media, no matter how much of a routine matter, does not prepare one for the heart-wrenching spectacle of ugly forces manifesting in […]

From the vantage point of Taliban representatives, closing their eyes and stating how they “highly respected” women and would never compare them to cats seemed like a perfect response to hard-hitting criticism of their treatment of women by award-winning actress Meryl Streep. To their disappointment, her parallels with a cat feeling the sun and a […]

All’s well that ends well. Even if logic dictates that securing foreign loans is hardly a national achievement for a country that routinely remains in the limelight over its inability to pay back debt, the government must be in a joyous mood after securing the approval of another bailout package, this time for a whopping […]

It seems that the government believes that simply repeating its half-baked explanations behind the dreaded digital blackouts too many times would eventually make the people believe it. With reports of internet slowing to a crawl, that too, on the heels of yet another breakdown of popular social media applications last weekend, IT Minister Shaza Fatima […]

We cannot ignore the elephant in the room any longer. The world is facing an antibiotic emergency as drug-resistant superbugs keep emerging to endanger populations from extremely common, preventable and formerly treatable health ailments. However, as global leaders are all set to come together at the UN summit to contemplate the best possible way to […]