Our strategic blundersThe following excerpts from Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s speech at the 54th Munich Security Conference held last Saturday pinpoints the blunder that we committed under the mi...
Asma, Malala and misogynyUpon hearing of Asma Jehangir passing away, I had the same feeling, when more than a decade ago, a friend asked as we walked along: did you hear? Edward Said died. I felt strength leaving my legs, and...
Captain’s Knock or Retired Hurt?I need not wax eloquent on Imran Khan’s cricketing days. Imagine. Imran ready to bowl. Head lunging forward, piercing gaze, body curved in a magnificent arch. A long stooping run up, mane trailing, cu...
Pakistan’s dull springFebruary is the month when the season transitions from a chilling winter to a beautiful spring. It is a month of love and transformation that is celebrated by cultures around the world. A western fest...
Achieving cultural modernity through writingIn any society, writers have a crucial responsibility on their shoulders. Their vantage point to look at what is happening in the society is different from a layman’s. They tap the fault lines of conv...
Polio menaceSir: I wish to draw the attention of the authorities to the issue of attacks on polio teams and the general attitude people in this country have about polio vaccinations. On Tuesday, a four member tea...
Hiding marriageSir: While I do not believe in interfering in other people’s issues and scandalizing their personal life, I do believe that it is very important to call out their hypocrisy that has its implications f...
Not a kingdomSir: I am willing to bet that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Safdar have neither read the Panama Paper’s case nor the Constitution. They have committed contempt of court no...
Dictator’s rule bookSir: In The Politics, Aristotle (384 BC to 322 BC) catalogues ancient tactics familiar to modern day dictators (Trump, Modi, Lenin, Hitler, Shah of Iran et. al.). The focal point of such tactics is to...
Public mandate and SCSir: In a yet another controversial verdict that has sent tremors across the electoral system of Pakistan, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a person disqualified under Articles 62, 63 is inel...
‘Blasphemy’ and sensitivitySir: The Shahdra police on Monday filed a case against a Christian teen for allegedly sharing ‘blasphemous’ content on social media. The police acted after locals gathered at Shahdra Chowk to protest...
Fated to dieSir: According to a UNICEF reports, Pakistan is the most dangerous place for newborns. Of every 1,000 babies born — 46 die within the first month of their lives. It is utterly shameful that while the...
Barbaric punishmentSir: When serious crimes start taking place in high preponderance, people, driven by their emotions and outrage, demand some very high measures for it. Some measures are not even proportional to the c...
Beasts in disguiseSir: A judicial magistrate has remanded a man in police custody for raping his young stepdaughter. The police arrested the man after the victim’s mother complained. The woman had married him two years...