Insults to the armed forces on April 19, 2014How much can the armed forces take? They are heaped with insults from politicians non-stop — sometimes mild, sometimes strong. Surprisingly, a mild response from the army chief was heard. We should give thanks to General Raheel Sharif, who showed sensitivity and reflected the sentiments of the troops and also of a large section of […]
Measure of men on April 9, 2014History is a continuous process of record making but there are landmarks to remember. Individuals show character in unusual circumstances and show what metal are they made of. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where […]
Taliban trap on April 1, 2014“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.” Under the leadership of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the negotiating team and the Pakistan government have met the fate of Humpty Dumpty. This is not the first time that ‘politicians’ have tried ‘negotiations’ for peace. This is also not the first time that […]
A mysterious $ 1.5 billion on March 23, 2014$ 1.5 billion! What for? This amount arrived into the so-called ‘Pakistan Development Fund’ from Saudi Arabia as a gesture of friendship for Nawaz Sharif (NS) and Pakistan. It may not be substantial for a whole country, but significant it is. I grew up at a time when hundreds and thousands mattered. Then lakhs (hundred […]
Exposure through negotiations on March 8, 2014The long drawn out, much talked about process of negotiations may resume but what this process has already done needs to be assessed. I admit that, personally, I have been very sceptical about this process. In fact, I am against this process if it takes place outside the limits of the constitution and without a […]
Think about it II on February 18, 2014It always pays to take stock of situations and to look at one’s own hangups. One can move more gracefully to one’s ideal image and goals in this way. This is true of nations also. Nations achieve greatness by critically looking at themselves and carving out new goals. China is a living example. The larger […]
Think about it I on February 9, 2014How long is the ‘Musharraf bashing saga’ to continue? There must be a limit to irrational hatred and self-serving accusations. Where is this aggression against the former president and army chief coming from? There are the following primary groups: military haters, extreme rightists who include terrorists, Taliban, al Qaeda and similar groups, people with personal […]
6,815 dead so far on January 3, 2014Driving from Walnut Creek to San Francisco on freeway 680 I could not help noticing hundreds of crosses in white on the slope of a hill near Lafayette train station. I was curious and wanted to know more. The Lafayette Hillside Memorial is a collection of crosses, accompanied by a large sign in Lafayette, California. […]
Radio: the real pioneer I on December 20, 2013Radio broadcasting in what later became Pakistan started in Lahore with a transmitter installed in the YMCA building on the Mall. This was in 1928. It was later shifted to the house owned by Sir Fazle Hussain near ‘Simla Pahari’, on the road leading to the Governor’s House, in 1937. It was at this location […]
Peace talks and hypocrisy on November 16, 2013Hakeemullah Mehsud was struck by a drone and died. This time it was real and not a rumour. He is in fact history. The aftermath of his death revealed many realities that need to be noted. On the death of Mehsud, more noise was made by some politicians than the killer drone did with its […]