The Barbarians Are At the Gates… Again! on July 28, 2024Over five years ago, I had written exhaustively on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism policies, contextualising them within the ambit of national security policy, national interests, national purpose and national identity. It was a time of hope and vigour and a sense that maybe something was in the air that would allow us to move in an […]
In Search of Kalash – The Magic Carpet Weaver on June 27, 2024In a lush green valley nestled between the mountains of the Himalayas lived a carpet weaver named Kalash. His village flourished, its threads woven from the vibrant lives of its people – the merchants, the artisans, the farmers. But a storm loomed, threatening to undo peace and tranquillity. Murmurs of problems and whispers of discontent […]
Hold On to Your Cricketing Hats! on June 7, 2024Another year, another cricket world cup – this time the T20 kind. In a land that is as unpredictable as the cricket itself, the highs are higher than the Himalayas and the lows are lower than the bottom of the Arabian sea! Thus, Pakistan cricket is a tapestry woven with huge talent, relatable heroism, baffling […]
Cometh the Impasse, Cometh the Man on May 20, 2024For the era of distressed tidings around us and the associated stalemate, no one quote can express the way forward than this “those who have come to an impasse should examine their original intentions; those who have succeeded should note where they are heading”. This saying is borrowed from Hong Zicheng, a Chinese philosopher who […]
Sheep of Objectivity amidst Wolves of Sensationalism on April 25, 2024Pakistan – the land of breathtaking scenery, majestic history, glorious bazaars and media houses that reinvent the meaning of the phrase “objective journalism.” In this oasis of unbiased reporting, truth is secondary, facts take the backseat, opinions – loud ones at that – are presented as gospel and neutrality is a dish best served with […]
The Vultures Are Circling on April 4, 2024Hiding behind the dagger and stabbing with the cloak! This is how Ken Clarke ridiculed the attempted failed coup against Gordon Brown in 2010. The orchestrators of this coup, Labour’s own Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt, lacked both ambition and talent. That is why this coup started with an erroneous and empty email before midnight. […]
Masters of Can-Kicking on March 9, 2024Elections have come and gone but their remnants can still be felt like aftershocks of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. Amidst it all – the high and mighty of Pakistani politics fight it out, sitting in an arena which mostly resembles a WWE ring, with all its fakery and downright lunacy. And what about the ever-burdened […]
The Night After on February 22, 2024A royal mess if ever there was one. That is how the February 2024 elections are being viewed generally. And that sentiment is not wrong! The muddle the two leading parties find themselves in goes to prove one thing – the short-term memory of the electorate is just that, short. The poor end of the […]
Rhetoric Spicier than Biryani; Morality Bland as Roti on January 11, 2024The season of elections is again around us – or is it? As mysteries go, this one not only takes the cake but perhaps the whole bakery! After a lot of smoke and mirrors – the date is set, the contestants are ready and the Election Commission of Pakistan is in action! Pun intended. Ah, […]
We Need Leaders More than Speeches on October 12, 2023The 2008 film Swing Vote was not a box-office success. It was also panned by critics in equal measure. Even after all that, one line from the script stuck with me. Before I get to that, some context. The movie revolves around a fictional US presidential election where the fate of the vote comes down […]