Gul Bukhari

As leader of the second largest and main opposition party you must be aware of the heavy responsibility on your shoulders towards Pakistan. No doubt you are also conscious of the extremely sensitive nature of the onslaught the present government is faced with at the moment — and that the impact of the outcome of […]

One hopes the recent announcement to study a de-radicalisation plan by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) is not the latest in the never-ending series of jokes perpetrated on the Pakistani people by its rulers — but it does sound like one. By the sounds of the focus of the DCC meeting, the scope […]

Whether it is because of fear of the Conservatives gaining the upper hand, or whether because of genuine conviction, the liberal Left is making disingenuous arguments when identifying the causes behind the London riots — or rather riots across Britain — that began the previous Thursday. Their arguments reveal a huge blind spot towards a […]

The evidence, for whatever it is worth, is stupefying. Three recent ‘polls’, one by the Pew Research Centre, of mostly urban adults, one ‘online’ poll with presumably no sampling by Newsweek Pakistan, and one Facebook ‘poll’ have found Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan to be the most popular political leader in Pakistan. Notwithstanding the […]

There is a strange undertone in editorials and commentary condemning Dr Zulfiqar Mirza’s racist remarks made on July 13 against the Urdu-speaking community of Karachi. Pick up any recent comment on Mirza’s outburst and you will notice he is being criticised not for the views or prejudices he aired per se, but for being ultimately […]

“I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er” — Macbeth, Act III. The abdication from reason and awarding of unquestionable supremacy to religion has put the ‘unreasonables’ in an enviable position in this country. Incomprehensible, untenable and indefensible positions may not be […]

A vast majority of people in Pakistan have finally come to understand that militants and militancy, especially religiously motivated violent movements, are a cancer and a threat to their country. However, this realisation came very late in the day. I can remember how only two to three years ago, a majority of society was calling […]

What is there left to say? What can anyone or I say that has not been said before, or is not obvious? Which words have not been used before to stop the killing fields of Pakistan’s armed forces? Our words, our emotions, our frustrations, our despair and our wretchedness seem not to matter — not […]

“I must give you a favour. We have recently arrested a terrorist and have recovered a lot of data, dairies and other material during the interrogation. The terrorist had a hit list with him. If I find your name in the list, I will certainly let you know.” Reportedly, these were the words of DG […]

There is consensus between Aasia Bibi’s statements in the sessions court Nankana Sahib and the investigative report of Mohammad Amin Bokhari (SP Investigation, and witness for prosecution) that the blasphemy spat between the women started when Aasia Bibi’s Muslim accusers refused to drink water she offered to bring them because Aasia Bibi was Christian. One […]