Between the devil and the deep seaon November 8, 2019The ill-fated Azadi-March of MaulanaFazlur Rahman has reached a dead end: the ultimatum he had given expired and his demand – PM stepping down from his office – has not taken place and is not likely to take place. In addition, the ‘partners’ in this enterprise, the PPP and the PML(N) have backed out from […]
“Azadi” or “Berbadi” march?on November 1, 2019As this goes into print Maulana Fazlur Rahman and supporters had reached Islamabad. Luckily GOP showed maturity by not stopping them enroute, hopefully in reciprocity the assembled protestors, though fired up considerably demanding Imran Khan’s political demise, will continue keeping the peace (and hygiene) in Islamabad. The so-called “Azadi March” took off from Karachi’s Sohrab […]
World silence on Kashmir deafeningon October 24, 2019Addressing a large number of people forming the ‘human chain’ from D-Chowk to Radio Pakistan Chowk in Islamabad on Friday Oct 11, 2019 to express solidarity with the plight of Kashmiris under Indian occupation, PM Imran Khan expressed deep disappointment over the blanket coverage of Hong Kong protests by the international media while keeping silence […]
What is behind Kashmir conflict?on October 19, 2019During a joint news briefing with US President Donald Trump in France recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged that there were “many bilateral issues between India and Pakistan”. Asked to comment on President Trump’s offer to help resolve the Kashmir dispute, Modi said that “we don’t want to trouble any third country as we […]
Pakistan’s taxation dilemmaon October 13, 2019One of the central problems of Pakistan’s state and economy is the low level of tax collection. While nobody in the world likes to pay taxes in Western countries most people understand that taxes are needed to run the state and its institutions and therefore, efficient tax departments are present. States throughout history have used […]
A patented blackmail psycheon October 10, 2019The features of corruption and nepotism that the Quaid-e-Azam had warned against has been going on unabated for decades, over time these methods have acquired a kind of legality and rightfulness. Everybody today seems to accept the fact that sitting in a position of power makes one entitled to take payment for favours. The weak […]
Imran Khan at the UNon October 5, 2019Pakistan’s image in the international community is rather negative, over the years and even after decades this has not much improved. We have never paid much attention to our image-building, whatever done was done a clumsy way. Pakistan’s negative image was further disparaged by the very successful and never relaxing anti-Pakistan propaganda by India at […]
Hazards Fighting Corruptionon September 26, 2019Over the decades corruption has become deeply entrenched in the institutions of the state and in the business of fighting corruption, it is one of the most important objectives of the current PTI government. Corruption has damaged the Pakistani state, its social fabric, its economy and its national security. Fighting corruption therefore remains one of […]
A giant among men bravest of the brave: Brig Muhammad Taj SJ & BARon September 17, 2019Brig Muhammad Taj SJ & Bar died peacefully in CMH, Rawalpindi on Sep 16, 2019 in the early hours of the morning. He was buried the same day in his native village Dewal Sharif, his Soyem is today. While I personally alongwith all the officers and men of 44 Punjab (now 4 Sindh) grieve for him, I […]
A fragmented Indiaon September 13, 2019With its multiple ethnicities, languages and sub-nationalisms a subcontinent rather than a country, India was bound to face many tensions and even centrifugal tendencies from its very beginning. This recognition by the early rulers notwithstanding multiple separatist movements have developed over the years. Consecutive Indian governments have tackled the problem to a large extent by […]