Between the two PTI’son September 23, 2018Of all the collective mess that Atif Mian’s episode has exposed of our society and politics, in subtle ways it has also revealed a structural dynamic of PTI that may create a challenge, or an opportunity for the party in times to come — depending on how they use the information. The structural dynamic also […]
Not a traitoron August 26, 2018I choose to write this not because I want to, but because I have to after the events of last night in Faisalabad. The liberals are conveniently busy focusing on their own representational politics, while the religious right does not understand nor wants to, and those in the middle just don’t care. Hence, silence is […]
Warming up with Australiaon April 26, 2016It is about time people in Pakistan end their obsession with the United States. This obsession coupled with academic discourse and narrative dominated by US-Pakistan relations has only served to complicate the relationship further in the past 10 years. At times, it appears that the US and Pakistan are trying to scratch too much out […]
Pakistan needs inter sectarian marriageson April 26, 2016“I love her, but I can’t be with her, because I’m an Ahmadi, and she is a Sunni Muslim.” This sentence by one of my friends highlights a tragedy that has been a part of our lives in Pakistan for decades. Scores of lives have been affected for not being allowed to marry out of […]
Quetta killingson April 25, 2016When 68 percent of the upper middle class/elite youth of Pakistan in the survey that I conducted last year believe that Shiites are ‘kafirs’ (infidels), and out of this lot, 42 percent believe that they must also be officially declared as ‘kafirs’ by the government, I see very little reason why we should be surprised […]
India must compromiseon April 22, 2016In one of my recent articles on Kashmir that I wrote right before the entire Line of Control (LoC) debacle between India and Pakistan, I mentioned how India was not doing enough, and did not appear to be serious in striking peace with Pakistan, and all for a good reason. Peace with Pakistan means stability […]
Pakistans complaining partyon April 22, 2016It was obvious that my host was no ordinary man, as I searched his house in one of the most posh streets of the most posh localities in Lahore. I parked my car outside the well-guarded house and as I made my way in, the smell of freshly trimmed grass made me reminise me of […]
Voting rights for overseas Pakistanison April 21, 2016The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finally succumbed to the pressure. The overseas Pakistanis including those with dual citizenship will now, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, have the right to vote. In simpler words, the fate of Pakistanis living in Pakistan will now largely be decided by those ‘Pakistanis’ who […]
Maybe we havent really forgotten Kashmiron April 20, 2016Yaqoob Bangash in his recent article, ‘Maybe we have forgotten Kashmir?’ in a national daily presents a picture of glimmer and hope that Pakistan is all set to move beyond the Kashmir issue, and that today’s youth in Pakistan would rather take up a job in India than maintain a belligerent attitude towards the country. […]
Understanding droneson April 19, 2016In my last column for Daily Times (October 13, 2012), I made an argument that it is the lack of knowledge, politicisation and propaganda against the drone strikes that is causing people to hate drones and the US. Hence, in the sequel, I will attempt to educate the people on what exactly are drones, how […]