Naeem Tahir

The jalsa (rally) of October 30th is still talked about. There is good reason for it. It was the biggest gathering of people in Lahore since the return of Benazir Bhutto in the 80s. It was also a voluntary gathering and not prompted, bought or forced. Another plus, it was not a unisex collection — […]

‘A bull in a china shop’ is a familiar phrase. We all know what havoc it denotes. Now a new standard has been created by the ‘bull’ that entered Nairang Art Gallery recently. Nairang Art Gallery is situated in front of Kinnaird College for Women on Jail Road in Lahore. It is set up in […]

Some 72 hours before the formal birth of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah was elected the president of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. Pakistan was born as an independent state on midnight of August 15, 1947 and so was Bharat (India). According to the well-known book Midnight’s Children, the two countries came into existence at the […]

Pakistanis and Indians saw the recent goodwill visit of our foreign minister as a success — generally. But a TV anchorperson in Pakistan got carried away. Some years ago, male chauvinists got after Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar in the same way. It seems to be Ms Khar’s turn now. Is this a continuity of criticising efforts […]

Initially I thought ‘suo motu’ was some substance like ‘ajinomoto’, a food additive that is used in most Chinese and Japanese dishes. Recently, its use has been restricted due to its harmful effect on eyesight. Of course, thinking of suo motu as something like ajinomoto was an exposure of my ignorance. But how can one […]

On June 16, the newspapers carried his photographs with a big grin. His teeth showed prominently in a frame of black beard. He was profusely garlanded and was accompanied by another bearded supporter, equally happy. Both were riding an expensive car. That was Malik Ishaq, the key founding member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) — a notorious […]

The first time I noticed this organisation was on October 3, 2010 in Birmingham, UK. The occasion was a follow up address of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and several hundred yards away from the entrance stood about eight to ten persons with placards demanding khilafat (caliphate) in the world and condemning the US. Their presence […]

From where has this mindset been inherited? Newspapers and media rush to collect the bad news and the worst of these hit the headlines. In the breaking news you mostly see a terrorist attack, a targeted killing, a bomb blast, murder, rape, and so on. Do you ever see a ‘breaking news’ saying, “Bumper crop […]

The armed forces have been put under the weather recently. It is primarily a success of the perception management strategists of the Taliban. The Taliban and al Qaeda groups faced a decisive defeat in Swat and South Waziristan. The army saved the country from near devastation and subversion by al Qaeda/Taliban militants. It hurt them. […]

When it comes to political rivalry, all claims to democracy, freedom of speech, and individual rights are conveniently forgotten and oppressive tactics are let loose. The Punjab ‘lions’ did exactly the same on June 18 at Ravi Town. All their claims stood exposed. A local ex-naib nazim had announced support to the All Pakistan Muslim […]