Dr Haider Shah

A long time ago, when I was a college student in the jihadi era of Ziaul Haq, I had a sitting with late Dr Eqbal Ahmad along with a few friends. We asked a very basic question about why, in Pakistan, we had not been able to see a democratic order flourishing. Dr Eqbal’s answer […]

When events like Saleem Shahzad’s mysterious killing and the assassination of a Baloch professor in broad daylight are making headlines, discussing cricket and Shahid Afridi on the editorial pages of a national daily might sound outlandish. The fact that I am a keen follower of cricket and go with my kids to the nets regularly […]

In part I of this article, I had stated that nations much stronger than us reoriented their national paradigms once it became obvious to them that their survival necessitated a fundamental change. The most recent example of this change can be found in the case of Serbia, which has handed over Ratko Mladic who was […]

Once upon a time there lived an eagle that took great pride in his sharp eyesight. One day, flying very high in the sky, he sighted a small grain size piece of flesh lying on the ground. Feeling very pleased with his sharp eye, he swooped down and in a flash reached the target to […]

The devolution of HEC has resulted in a fierce debate over the future of higher education in Pakistan. Replying to the emerging chorus of criticism Mr Raza Rabbani declared in a recent press conference that those who were opposing dismemberment of HEC were the agents of a strong Centre. As a neutral observer, I find […]

The Supreme Court (SC) judgement in the Mukhtaran Mai case has received massive media coverage as it had assumed an iconic status at the international level. Recently, some stories appearing in a section of the media have provided the other side of the story as well. I am an advocate of rationalism and the first […]

The Arab world seems to be imploding. The dynasties that once were permanently fixed to the ground are collapsing under their own weight. The marginalised common man in the street has suddenly found his voice and the political scene is resonating with deafening calls for change. From Bahrain to Tunisia the revolutionary marchers seem unstoppable. […]

On March 8, the whole world celebrated the International Women’s Day. In Pakistan, thanks mainly to the print and electronic media, the day did not pass unnoticed. However, the honours of the day were fairly and squarely won by his highness Mr Jam Tamachi, chairman public accounts committee of the Sindh Assembly. He reminded me […]

The word courage carries different meanings for different people. For some it is killing others with a remorseless heart. For others it is blowing oneself up with the intention of causing maximum havoc. On the more positive side of the spectrum, challenging a brutal dictator is an admirable act of bravery but, as J S […]

The health indicators of the Pakistan economy have not been encouraging ever since signs of ill health became evident in 2007. Economic woes are, however, meshed with other socio-political problems of all sorts. On top of that, Pakistan has also been unlucky in experiencing both natural and man-made disasters. Now Pakistan’s economy is threatened with […]