Merit and the HEC on November 11, 2014On November 1, 2014 the incumbent federal government announced its (federal) recruitment policy. With regard to the policy, Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif emphasised observing merit strictly when the government offers employment opportunities (in civil service positions ranging from grade one to grade 15) to people. The announcement of merit-based recruitment is a good omen […]
Solutions to end target killing on October 29, 2014Sir: Two years have passed since the commencement of a targeted operation in Karachi but satisfactory results have not come about till now. According to a report by the Sindh police, 33,000 target killers, hooligans and other professional offenders are roaming the city right now. With the passage of time these criminals are consolidating their […]
A democratic Afghanistan on October 28, 2014No doubt, elections are not all of democracy in themselves but they are a component of democracy and a path towards a democratic form of government. This is true for everywhere, including Afghanistan. Both rounds of the presidential elections (on April 5 and June 14, 2014) in Afghanistan set the stage for a new beginning […]
Dharna and warna on September 30, 2014On September 28, 2014, it was expected that the political gathering (or jalsa) arranged by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) of Imran Khan would set alight the electricity bills of its supporters to signify the protest civil disobedience movement, which is an extension of the dharna (sit-in) it has been managing for more than 40 days […]
Scotland: the post-referendum phase on September 23, 2014When the context was the referendum in Scotland that took place on September 18, the word “change” was a misnomer; the exact word was “independence”, especially as related to the referendum’s wording of the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” No doubt, independence is a way to bring about change, but change is not […]
The ISPR factor on September 16, 2014On September 12, 2014, the Director General (DG) Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Asim Bajwa had to summon the media to give a press briefing on the ongoing military operation, Zarb-e-Azb, and – under this guise – on the (diminishing) role of the army in the prevalent political crisis at D-Chowk, Islamabad. Of […]
The conspiracy against parliament on September 9, 2014If Sheikh Rasheed of the Awami Muslim League (AML) had conducted the press conference instead of Javed Hashmi, the president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), and had revealed the same as Hashmi did on the evening of September 1, 2014 in front of parliament, probably no one would have believed him. The difference between them lies […]
The Imran-Qadri headache on September 1, 2014The political horizon of Pakistan has finally witnessed the emergence of a new pressure group comprising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) led by Imran Khan and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) led by Dr Tahirul Qadri. The other day, the latter called both parties political cousins hell bent on altering the political trajectory of Pakistan. Perhaps […]
Understanding Imran Khans politics on August 19, 2014The fate of the azaadi (independence) march (begun on August 14 from Lahore) instigated by Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), was decided in fact in Gujranwala. The city of Gujranwala was not important because the followers of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) attacked the PTI’s convoy but because the dreams of the […]
Talk shows, tsunamis and revolutions on August 5, 2014As per the personal opinion of this writer, Naseem Zehra is the best television talk show host in Pakistan. Ms Zehra’s talk show, Hum Sub, telecast on August 2, 2014 (by a private television channel) could be taken as a case study for the role of talk shows, anchors and analysts in the ongoing situation […]