Babar Ayaz

“…the democrats are of course at a disadvantage. Their ideology requires them, even when in power, to give freedom and rights to Islamist opposition. The Islamists, when in power, are under no such obligation. On the contrary, their principles require them to suppress what they see as impious and subversive activities. For Islamists, democracy, expressing […]

Confusion on how to tackle hydra-terrorism is compounding during the course of discussion in the media for the last many years. The major contribution in confusing the people is that of the apologists of terrorists in the media, supposedly independent analysts and politicians. Let’s summarise the contention of the apologists of terrorists, which is based […]

Like well-bred Pakistanis, most PPP leaders are putting up a brave face and blaming local and international conspiracies for their horrific defeat in the recent elections. They were wiped out from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan and Punjab. The two seats they managed to win in south Punjab were thanks to Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, who crossed […]

Although the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) bagged more seats in the May 2013 election compared to the 1997 elections yet the impact of last month’s defeat is far greater. This, undoubtedly, will have profound repercussions as the PPP activists may succumb to pessimism. Questions over the PPP’s future haunt its supporters. The chattering classes are […]

Two statements of Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Kayani in the last few days have come under discussion, inviting criticism from ideologically opposed politicians and journalists. First speaking at the graduation of the 127th Long Course of the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul, General Kayani said, “Let me remind you that Pakistan was created […]

First we were sliding down as a country, but now, for the last few years, it seems as if we are rolling down and the momentum is accelerating each day. It seems as if the dark hole is bottomless. Look at the eventful month of May: the world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, was […]

A senior educationist in our university days, back in the late 1960s, once said that a person who is cursed by both parents becomes the president of Pakistan. And yet there is a long list of aspirants who would give their right arm to get this position. If not by both parents, at least you […]

The demand for a separate ‘Mohajir Sooba’ (a province for Urdu-speaking immigrants from India), 15 people killed in firing on a rally against the Mohajir Sooba demand, assassination of Muzaffar Bhutto, a Sindhi nationalist leader, and the murder of seven persons in ethnic killing by the Sindhudesh Liberation Army in the span of a week’s […]

Pakistan is faced with many crises. While terrorism is at the top of the crises list, which has to be dealt with by the government, the second place in this list is being competed for by energy shortages and inflation. Both are closely linked with each other. Much has been written on the ongoing terrorism […]

Public interest in corruption in developing countries like Pakistan has surged as the democratic institutions started functioning and the economic structure is being deregulated, giving more space to the private sector. This transition has led to the collision between the market players and a new social class of politicians who are seen by people acquiring […]