The Armys view of the economy on October 13, 2017Just replace the name and the title, and the written keynote address to a Karachi seminar on economy and security by the Army Chief will look like a deeply thought-out and meditative visionary address by an elected Prime Minister, who was seriously worried about the country. That it was delivered in person by the top […]
Not a banana republic yet, Sir on October 6, 2017I would never ever believe that Pakistan was — is or will ever be — a banana republic. There is a clothing brand by that name in the United States. Though, the creation of this country was nothing short of a miracle. From the 1940 resolution onwards, it took the founding fathers just seven years […]
Zardari ditches Nawaz on September 30, 2017A last ditch effort by Nawaz Sharif to find some way out of the deep hole that he is in ended miserably on Friday. Property tycoon and self-appointed political mediator Malik Riaz of Bahria empire met Sharif at the Raiwind Estate. Later, both Malik Riaz and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari issued clear statements that […]
A rejoinder to a dear friend on September 29, 2017My friend and a serious, honest and credible journalist Zahid Hussain has raised some very pertinent points in an op-ed in Dawn that need a response. Here is what He Says (HS) and here is My Response (MR), point by point. HS: The so-called accountability process targeting the country’s most powerful political dynasty has widened […]
How to end the current deadlock? on September 26, 2017It is now clear as a blue sky that Pakistan has entered a unique and dangerous phase – visible in the present deadlock that has brought almost everything to a halt. The deadlock is in policies, governance, accountability, constitutional and democratic process and, biggest of all, in the economy. Topsy-turvy things are happening and no […]
Scenarios, options and facts on September 22, 2017In the last one week, so much has happened, and so much more is going to happen. Nosy journalists will be inundated with stories — unsure what to or not to believe, what to report and what to consider conspiracy and discard. Some stories will, however, stand out because of their incontrovertible facts. After my […]
The apparent method in the weakness on September 15, 2017The social media is usually aggressive and abrasive and one question is repeatedly being raised there in context of the Panama Papers case. Why was the Supreme Court so slow and seemingly weak in dispensing justice in the matter? The impatience in the minds of many is justified to some extent because they may have […]
Where are our modern day visionaries? on September 8, 2017Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa as performed his national duty by speaking out and talking straight on Defence Day. In the absence of an active, visionary and credible political leadership, somebody has to pick up the banner and lead. A candid, realistic, and fearless narrative had to be given and the Army chief did […]
Asif Zardaris acquittal on September 1, 2017 Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’scelebratory news conference in Islamabad after his acquittal in the last NAB case has raised more questions than he was able to answer. It has even forced senior NAB executives to come before the media to explain their position. Gleefully, with his impish smile, the former president appeared […]
The good, the bad, and the ugly of NAB on August 25, 2017With the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) under sharp focus being a decisive player in the current high profile political cases, an overview of where it stands and what lies ahead needs a deeper look. Where it stands is simple. At the federal level NAB has to prosecute Nawaz Sharif, his family and company, under SC […]