Expiry of the Plot on March 5, 2023“Ultimately every trick succeeds or fails with an audience because of its plot.” Jim Steinmeyer. The trick then is to first get the plot sorted out. The trick then is not to try to trick people when the plot does not have feet to stand upon. The problem is that those who make the plot […]
Fuel to Fire on February 26, 2023If you want your children to do something, tell them not to do it. This is the wise talk of sages when they talk about child psychology. The present serial pursuit of gagging the voice of the youth and creating hurdles to prevent elections is actually showing the stunted growth of the government and its […]
No Place to Hide on February 19, 2023In foreign lands. Away from the local din. Sitting in a restaurant sipping juice. Comfortable that the Pakistani madness is a far cry. Till you see the face. A scared, hurried departure. Leaving your juice behind. That is the state of a man who is a three times Prime minister and whose party is ruling […]
Battle for Hope on February 12, 2023“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This was a famous quote from the bestseller by Harper Lee. This book was published in 1960 when America was going through the oppression that had given rise to the civil rights movement led […]
The Bold and the Ugly on February 5, 2023Fix these ugly. Teach them a lesson that they never forget. This is the “strategic thinking” going on in the power corridors. With the provincial assemblies back in the opposition camps, the visible stepping up of oppression is not unexpected. The country is in a whirlwind of downers. Economy tanking. Businesses closing. Terrorism spiking. Lawlessness […]
Corruption, Confession, Redemption on January 29, 2023Daku Raaj was a Punjabi movie of Sultan Rahi that was released in 1992. The movie starts with the scene of a very powerful man using his power and gangsters to make money. When his servant warns him of being caught by police, he laughs and says why would a partner-in-crime catch him. The three-decades-old […]
Shifting Balance- From Power to People on January 22, 2023No way. This was the response whenever the question of free and fair elections was posed. Independent policies. Never. This was the instant reaction when foreign policy or economic decisions were concerned. Effective state-run institutions run by top professionals. This was the reaction when appointments to key state organizations were debated. These reactions and responses […]
All in the Family on January 15, 2023Yes, the economy is bleeding, but little can be done as the Finance Minister is the father-in-law of Nawaz Sharif’s daughter. This is not fake news on social media. This is not an attempt by the opposition to score political points. This is not a meme by a troll. This is an ex-finance minister of […]
More of the Same on January 8, 2023‘Pakistan is going through a very critical period”. Really? Yes, of course. But when was it not so? That is the common reaction to the common comment made by uncommon people now and then. Such comments are either dealt with with a yawn or a “next” command. The year has started on a sombre note. […]
Moguls, Mughals and Media on January 1, 2023Open sesame. Command and happen. Say and believe. The said word is ultimate. The raising of a finger or an eyebrow is enough. We are not talking of kings and queens. We are talking about the common themes that are formed repeatedly in various forms of communication to impact the thinking of people. Malcolm X […]