Living as a minority abroad on February 20, 2020When I landed in the UK almost three years back, I went from being a member of the majority in Pakistan to minority status in a matter of hours. Although expected, the magnitude of this change only struck me as I started adjusting to my new life here. What made me a minority here? My […]
What is patriotism? on December 8, 2017There is no benign way to describe the series of events that shook Islamabad to its core. It was mindless thuggery at best and it showcased a side so dark that we shiver at the thought of what lies ahead. The involvement of religious sentiments in the issue kept the government dithering on their plan […]
Investigating under populist pressure on May 4, 2017The apex court was continuously urged by some media anchors and political rivals of Nawaz Sharif to “just do it” during the Panama hearings. Those left high and dry by the Supreme Court judgment are now pinning their hopes on the joint investigation team (JIT) to rid them of Nawaz Sharif. With the focus of […]
Welcoming the Final in Lahore on March 5, 2017It’s official! Lahore will host this year’s PSL final, with or without foreign players. The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a wonderful addition in our sporting and entertainment landscape. Within a span of two years we have seen it grow from an infant league to a resounding success, watched and passionately followed not just in […]
Pakistans internal challenges and CPEC on November 21, 2016Pakistan’s economy is all set to take off with the successful trial run of the CPEC, but for this flight to blossom in full, we need to unhinge it from the myriad challenges that plague our internal affairs. On the political front, we are becoming increasingly polarised. Our capacity to reach a consensus on different […]
No place for warped accountability on October 31, 2016The political temperature of Islamabad is rising even as the nights get colder with the onset of winter. The government has started a preemptive crackdown before the much-publicised lockdown. Many Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers have been arrested, heavy contingents of the police and the Frontier Corps have been deployed, and the Lal Haveli is being […]
The case against dharna politics on October 14, 2016The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz- (PML-N) led government has cause for concern again. Fresh off another rally in Raiwand, Imran Khan has announced a second dharna (sit-in) in Islamabad on 30th October. He will be leading this next round of agitation to call for public accountability of Nawaz Sharif yet again. Khan plans to do this […]
Aftermath of the failed Turkish coup d’état on July 21, 2016July 15, every year, will now be celebrated as the democracy day in Turkey in remembrance of the sacrifice and valour shown by the Turkish people to defeat an unconstitutional coup, which would have set their country back by many years. It was around midnight here in Pakistan when news started filtering in that martial […]
Panama leaks and accountability on May 19, 2016Panama is generating a great deal of interest in Pakistan these days because it has that C-word associated with it that resonates with most middle class Pakistanis. That word is ‘corruption’. A fresh leak on May 9 brings the total number of Pakistanis now linked to offshore accounts to around 400. Karachi hosts the highest […]