Daring to disagree with Jean De La Fontaine, sadness does not fly away on the wings of time. At least, not always. If the ticking of the clock actually carried some magic, the past 12 years would have been enough to pierce through the blanket of silence commemorating a fallen warrior: Salman Taseer. As his […]
Op-Ed
Let’s Make the New Year Green
Winston Churchill said that “success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” and it seems that when it comes to New Year Resolutions, we have taken this formula to heart. Each year we resolve to do countless good deeds for our country, promise to right many wrongs, and set our sights […]
Obituary for Press Freedom and Democracy of India
Ripples created with unexpected raids on BBC offices were downplayed with claims of ardent tax evasion investigations by the Indian government last year. This deceptive argument was too baseless to believe. The timing of meaningful activism of tax authorities was sharply linked with the release of a revealing documentary by BBC UK titled “India: The […]
Salmaan Taseer’s Legacy Lives On
January 4, 2011, etches a bloodstained historical scar on Pakistan’s tapestry, a nation grappling with the echoes of terror that relentlessly haunt its intellectual and progressive community. On this solemn day, we remember the cold-blooded murder of Salmaan Taseer in the Kohsar Market – an event that transcended the loss of an individual and became […]
New Year Thoughts and Wishes for Pakistan
As the first whispers of 2024 dance across the Indus plains, I send heartfelt greetings and wishes to the people of Pakistan. Pakistan is a land where the Himalayas sing anthems of resilience, the Indus dance tales of history, and the people wear dreams like vibrant tapestries. This year holds particular significance for the Pakistani […]
Twinkling Memories
Memories stand as the exclusive and enduring treasures of every human being. Many of us, who received our schooling from government schools up till the mid-1970s, hold cherished memories of the carefree days of our youth. The government schools were then lodged over large spaces having capacious buildings, playgrounds, and staffed with dedicated disciplinarian teachers. […]
Regional Dynamics And Pak-Afghan Relations
The relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan is marked by historical, cultural, and geopolitical complexities. The two neighbouring countries share a porous border, a common Pashtun ethnicity, and a history intertwined with various civilizations and empires. The historical roots of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations run deep into the pre-independence period when the territories that now constitute these two […]
Land Mafia and Rent-Seeking Behaviour
Pakistan is facing a pressing issue that threatens its economic stability and prosperity – the rise of the land mafia and rent-seeking behaviour. As housing schemes marketed as “Parisian Utopias” continue to surge across the country, the consequences of urban sprawl, low savings rates, and a lack of capital for productive activities are becoming increasingly […]
Economic Woes in 2024
The forecast by Economic Intelligence Unit predicted Pakistan’s default on its external debt in 2024. Needless to say and judging by the political and economic events of the past year, one can see that the year 2024 is going to be eventful. Numerous challenges plague Pakistan’s economic situation and one of the major factors contributing […]
Key Players
Who will win the general elections of 8th Feb 2024 is the fourth difficult question to answer after: Will elections change anything at all? Will elections be free and fair? Can the drop of honey sweeten the salty ocean? Before we delve into the complexities of answering these daunting questions, the nature of elections in […]