The blade cuts deep on December 21, 2013As I write, I hear news of the attempted death of an unnamed victim who sprinkled petrol on her body and attempted suicide. The Lahore High Court (LHC) has announced that it will take notice of this suicide attempt by a mother of three children against the assault by the men of a landlord in […]
After dinner thoughts on modern television dramas on December 15, 2013What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning? Do you not grab the television remote almost automatically? Nowadays, many people have high definition 3D television sets and the choice of 70 or more channels. Television has brought a brand new scale and intensity to the experience of drama. Television […]
Caught behind mental blocks on December 8, 2013Pakistan Twenty20 Captain Mohammad Hafeez went into denial when asked about his poor form. “I am not too worried because these things happen to every cricketer and, overall, I think my performance has not been bad.” Jonathan Trott’s withdrawal from England duties on the recent Aussie tour has surprised fans. He was not psychologically equipped […]
Mindset in intelligence analysis on December 1, 2013Mindset is not a phenomenon unique to intelligence; it is part of the natural functioning of the human cognitive process, and it has been shown across a broad range of fields ranging from medicine to stock market analysis. How many times do we see situations in which completely probable premises, based on solid expertise, have […]
Understanding gangs and gang wars on November 24, 2013The government has announced renewed ‘crackdowns’ on gang activity and has increased gang sweeps of neighbourhoods where they believe gang activity is high. In addition, the government has also begun to file elevated legislation that Rangers can detain suspects for up to 90 days without any preliminaries. Gangs are a key risk factor for violence, […]
Cohesion in chaos: hope in the wake of terror on August 21, 2013Terrorism can be dangerous, callous and cruel, but in general the evidence is that society adapts. Even in very violent conflicts where terrorist attacks are happening sometimes on an almost hourly basis, society does not collapse under the psychological strain. Most people adapt and cope, displaying remarkable resilience. Indeed, terrorism is a hostile activity that […]
Hostage to economic ransom on January 5, 2013The former New York State University professor Warren Weinstein, 72, was abducted by al Qaeda kidnappers in Pakistan two years ago while advising the Pakistani government on economic development. The video of Weinstein was released to Pakistani reporters on Christmas Day but first appeared in the US media on Thursday. Weinstein was country director in […]