The accidental Chief Minister on March 7, 2019Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Buzdar finally accepted Fayyaz Chohan’s resignation after the information minister had yet another provocative outburst, this time against the Hindu community. His repetitively obnoxious behaviour is an example of a much larger problem. That of a symbolic chief minister who cannot reign in his cabinet. Former CM Mustafa Khar once compared […]
A New World Era on January 21, 2019The West is moving towards a new era. Far-Right and nationalist forces are steadily gaining support in Europe with Donald Trump as a poster-child for the movement. They are present in parliaments throughout Europe. They have already formed governments in Austria and Hungary. Far-Right elements have even begun to coordinate across boarders. The United States […]
Asiatic Angling Adventures — a journey across Asia on December 5, 2018The word Chitral can mean many things. It’s a ferocious river, a charming city, and until 1969 a centuries old kingdom nestled around the Hindu Kush Mountains. The kingdom was formally integrated into Pakistan as a district of then North West Frontier Province (NWFP) now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KP. As such the king, known as the […]
The Far Right is Far From Over on November 4, 2018The current blockade by Khadim Rizvi and associates has disturbed local residents as well as shamed Pakistan in the eyes of the international community. With every CNN or BBC program showing an angry hirsute man waving a stick beside a burning tire Pakistan turns into the living embodiment of a stereotype it wishes to refute; […]
The fault in our stars on October 16, 2018Everybody needs good news. For a nation as dented and daunted as Pakistan, the novelty of PTI and the upright reputation of its chief was welcomed with open arms. However, we should not confuse our inherent desire for change for actual change. Imran Khan’s victory is a one-in-a-million anomaly where multiple factors aligned to pave […]
Imran Khan or Imran Niazi? on August 31, 2018Imran Khan has become the twenty-second Prime Minister of Pakistan. His journey to the top has, amongst other things, generated curiosity about his hometown of Mianwali and some controversy about his surname. The debate on whether Mr Imran is a Khan or Niazi still rages on. The remainder of the article will attempt to briefly […]
Great power has a greater price tag — I on July 11, 2018In a recent interview, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan bluntly stated, “Money and electables win elections.” Perhaps this rare moment of candour was a result of the tiresome ticket allocation process that has frustrated the Kaptaan. Nonetheless, there is truth in his remarks. Money plays a pivotal role in elections, especially in Pakistan. In […]
The Chinese conundrum on June 6, 2018The Chinese seem to be a godsend for Pakistan. At a time when Pakistan is increasingly short on friends, China backs us like a brother, protects us like a mother, and funds us like a father. All of which begs the question: why? The short answer is self-interest. The Chinese certainly appreciate Pakistan for being […]
Be right back on May 20, 2018A few days ago, I was exchanging messages with a friend, when suddenly he had to go somewhere. Since when had going anywhere interfered with our communication capabilities, I wondered. Certainly, everyone is somewhere at any given time, and yet, I know exactly where, with whom, and what everyone’s comments are in any situation. During […]
Dissent in PML-N on April 19, 2018The fictional character Lord Baelish from George RR Martin’s epic fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, was once described as willing to ‘see the realm burn, if he could be king of the ashes.’ When all is said and done, similar words may be used to describe Mian Nawaz Sharif. The PML-N […]