Many faces of extremism on April 13, 2016In his latest column “Blurring the lines” (The Express Tribune, March 13, 2016), Yaqoob Khan Bangash touched upon a very crucial subject that deals with the terminology of ‘Muslim extremism’. He argued very convincingly in support of his point of view by questioning the very notion that tends to label a person “extremist” who considers […]
Unrecognised sacrifices on September 19, 2014Every year, the Pakistan army celebrates Youm-e-Shuhada (Martyrs Day) in May and the whole nation joins them to pay tribute to the departed souls of those valiant army officials who sacrificed their lives for the safety and security of the country and its people. The Pakistan air force and Pakistan navy also celebrate their Youm-e-Shuhadas […]
The ISI, Taliban and the media on May 2, 2014Leaving aside as to who conspired for an attack on Hamid Mir, let us review the role played by the media and the government in leading the country to the point where we are today. Hamid Mir is not the first media person to suffer an assassination attempt on his life during this year; there […]
Rule of law or lawlessness? on April 24, 2014On April 7, 2014, the residence of the special public prosecutor, Abdul Maroof, came under attack by two unknown, armed individuals. Nobody was physically hurt, no verbal or written message was left behind and nobody claimed responsibility. They just came, fired some gunshots at the residence and then fled. All they left behind was an […]
Freedom of expression on March 28, 2014Cheering for the Pakistani cricket team in India by some Muslim students raised a serious question about freedom of expression in both countries, India and Pakistan. In India, the Muslim students who chanted in favour of the Pakistani team were initially charged with sedition, which was later dropped on the intervention of the chief minister […]
Misplaced priorities on March 28, 2014Sir: Pakistanis must have felt proud watching Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sitting between US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the opening session of the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague. World leaders expressed satisfaction at the stern measures taken by Pakistan to ensure foolproof security of its nuclear arsenal and curb […]
An edifice of dishonesty on November 17, 2013No death in the country has ever been a cause of so much controversies and debates as did the death of Hakeemullah Mehsud. A subject that was so far a taboo for discussion became a common debate and everybody began asking what type of Islam we, as a nation, want to follow: the militant Islam […]
Honest confessions on July 16, 2013Very seldom are the people of this country blessed with the honour of hearing their leaders say something that can be viewed as the ‘honest confession’ of what they really believe in. The month of June was such a fortunate month for our unwitting and innocent masses when they witnessed a number of such incidents […]
No memorial for sacrifices on June 24, 2013Nearly a century ago, in 1914, a steamship, the Komagatu Maru, arrived in Vancouver, Canada carrying passengers of Indian origin. Among the passengers were 340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims, and 12 Hindus. All of them were British subjects. This was the period when an unprecedented number of immigrants was landing in Canada, but most of them […]
Drone attacks and peace on June 18, 2013After one month’s interval, in the dark night of May 29, a drone reappeared in the sovereign horizon of our country, zeroed in on its target, and kaboom, went into ashes the seven persons that were revered by their followers as leaders, despised by the perpetrators as terrorists, and treated by some sections of the […]