An election preview on April 22, 2016Two weeks to elections, so time to talk of possible outcomes. First about the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that everybody, especially within the extended Mian family, thinks will win and form governments at the centre as well as in the Punjab, and possibly elsewhere too. The Mians were so sure of a sweeping victory that […]
The elections approach! on April 22, 2016Amidst all this load shedding the upcoming Pakistani elections are providing some badly needed comic relief. What is desperately needed is a compendium of all the questions being asked from candidates by ‘returning officers’ and all the objections being raised about their qualifications as well as the responses if any. Such a compendium will be […]
Journalists, politics and interim governments on April 21, 2016On principle I agree with what Dr Mohammad Taqi wrote in these pages on April 4. 2013 (Daily Times, “Press in Pakistan: from persecution to perks”) that journalists should avoid direct involvement in politics. However, Dr Taqi in his column names among others two important pre-partition journalists with great reverence, Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Maulana […]
Phatoo Lohar on April 21, 2016“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again.” Aha, let us not Google that one and then see how many of my readers know where that quote comes from. Perhaps women of a ‘certain age’ among my readers might have a vague remembrance of it. Alright, I’ll let you in; these are the opening […]
The story of Sharifs on April 15, 2016As I sit here in New Jersey on a beautiful spring afternoon, I realise that in my beloved Lahore the maximum temperature is already trying to hit 40 degrees (Celsius). Most of the obligatory visits have been done. Grandchildren, siblings, friends, former colleagues, and members of the extended family have been met. And yes, taxes […]
The leaking papers from Panama on April 8, 2016As some honourable members of the Punjab Assembly recently declared, Panama Papers leaks are ‘satanic’ in nature. Here one must accept the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz- (PML-N) led Punjab assembly as having some expertise in matters pertaining to Satan and his activities in Pakistan. The reason for bringing in Satan into the picture is clearly because […]
Trump and the American elections on April 1, 2016After having consumed an adequate amount of roast beef sandwiches and some decent filet mignon, for want of anything better to do I have over the last few days watched a great deal of local TV. Considering my interest in politics, most of the TV programmes I watched were about the upcoming elections for the […]
Trump and the American elections on April 1, 2016After having consumed an adequate amount of roast beef sandwiches and some decent filet mignon, for want of anything better to do I have over the last few days watched a great deal of local TV. Considering my interest in politics, most of the TV programmes I watched were about the upcoming elections for the […]
No, I am not my brothers keeper on March 26, 2016Every time some Muslim extremist blows up and kills many people in the west, every Muslim in the world is expected to loudly condemn such action. Personally, I feel extremely horrified every time any act of terrorism happens anywhere in the world. Be it in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, or in some European country. […]
Profundity on March 12, 2016Once in a while I have this irrepressible urge to write something so profound that its effect can almost be felt reverberating through the minds of all my readers. Fortunately, like other seemingly irrepressible urges, I have, in the interests of self-preservation also, learned to suppress the need for profundity. Profundity though is not as […]