Qamar Bashir

The student protests in Bangladesh which began in June 2024, in Dhaka, quickly spreading to other cities such as Chattogram, Comilla, Rajshahi, and Sylhet have taught numerous lessons to all pillars of the state – political parties, civil society, and students. Students should understand that if they perceive injustice, their genuine rights being usurped, meritocracy […]

I was posted in France as Press Minister in September 2016, and I had the unique opportunity to witness France being awarded the hosting rights for the 2024 Summer Olympics on September 13, 2017, during the 131st IOC Session in Lima, Peru. From that pivotal moment until our return to Pakistan after four years, we […]

The divine approval seemed to suddenly turn away from Joe Biden after he fumbled, lost his words, and struggled to maintain the sequence while making points, showing visible signs of ageing. Later, he contracted coronavirus, perhaps seen as the final push of the divine to move him out of the president’s slot. The “Huma,” the […]

During Obama’s visit to Kenya, a boy as young as seven-years-old had asked him, “Are you the king of the world?” Whether one likes it or not, the President of the US does wield considerable power and authority, capable of lifting a compliant country from ashes to prosperity or, conversely, reducing a non-compliant country to […]

The Founder of PTI, who has been incarcerated for a year and is sick and tired of facing one peril after another, had threatened to go on a hunger strike to portray his resilience against the alleged brutalities of the establishment against him and his party suddenly caved in and decided to attend the government-launched […]

On June 27, 2024, two significant developments occurred in Pakistan’s political landscape. First, the Prime Minister extended an olive branch to the PTI, offering to engage in dialogue to ease the situation for the incarcerated PTI founder, who the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly referred to as their prime minister. Second, the […]

World leaders gathered in Switzerland on June 16th for the second day of a major peace conference, aiming to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and address the war’s human cost. Over 90 countries and 50 heads of state, including India, Turkey, and Hungary, attended. Russia was not invited, and China chose not to attend. In […]

The entire primetime talk shows overwhelmingly discussed the Punjab government’s recently notified Punjab Defamation Act 2024, with the print media generating articles and editorials on the aggressive nature of this law. Social media is rife with criticism of the legislation, which has already been challenged in the Lahore High Court and admitted for hearing. One […]

The entire proceeding of the Supreme Court on the Sunni Ittehad Council’s petition seeking the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities in the National and Provincial Assemblies seemed like a clash between the Chief Justice and the rest of the bench. The Chief Justice used the strength and power of his argument to […]

The Punjab government has recently enacted the Punjab Defamation Act 2024, which boasts a broader scope compared to the existing Defamation Ordinance 2002. This comprehensive Act significantly impacts writers, analysts, editors, journalists, vloggers, and both traditional and social media practitioners. While the Act introduces several noteworthy provisions, it also presents both advantages and disadvantages when […]