Naeem Tahir

It is a popular anecdote that during the French Revolution a huge crowd had assembled and shouted slogans outside the royal palace. The king and queen looked out the window and asked the guard, “Is this a revolt?” The guard replied, “No sire, it is a revolution!” Almost the same picture has been painted by […]

What has been happening in Islamabad is unprecedented. Most noticeable is the strength and presence of women in this huge effort by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) to bring a real change in the country. While the outcome of the protests is not yet known, as I write these lines on […]

This is the season of ‘marches’: the Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI’s) march of azaadi (independence) and Tahirul Qadri’s march of inqilab (tsunami). There may be other marches. Are these marches bringing about the “ides of March” as Shakespeare said? The result is likely to be known in this very month of August. The ‘royalty’ failed to act […]

It was a state of shock that kept me from writing on this ghastly tragedy before now. June 17, 2014 will go down as one of the blackest, bloodiest days in Pakistan’s history. Everyone who had access to a television must have seen the police firing and killing of civilians with ruthless, direct aim. Sixteen […]

To develop a better democratic system, we need to learn from the examples of other countries and from some bloodless successful revolutions. Even now a process of revolutionary change is continuing in Thailand. Our basic problem starts with ‘constituency’ politics. Constituencies can be controlled by influentials through dubious means, and with a minority support thus […]

More than ever before, the following question is echoing everywhere: where is the country going? This question is on the mind of all, be it the young, old, male or female. Everyone is concerned, deeply concerned, worried, very worried. All individuals in the nation want an acceptable quality of life — neither living below the […]

While the media mess is now squarely in the courts, the government support to Geo and the reservations of the ministry of defence are backed by the public. The shortcomings of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) are being exposed. It is important that we put our heads together and try to find a […]

It became a hay day for unethical functionaries of television channels. Very likely, large amounts of money exchanged hands. It became a free for all. Television power could do anything. It could intimidate the civil machinery, politicians, businessmen and all such groups. Money could be extracted in every way. Plots were allotted to many. Sometimes […]

The media, particularly the electronic media, has a lot of dirty linen to wash in public. This was inevitable because freedom without responsibility is a road to disaster. The group that moves fastest may overtake others for a short time but it also moves fastest to the end, i.e. disaster. I have written about the […]

On May 1, 2014, Daily Times published a banner headline on its front page that said. ‘Surrender or get ready for operation, army tells rebels’. The army chief in this statement spoke for all who hold this country dear and respect the state and its constitution. I must admit that General Raheel Sharif has successfully […]