Dark clouds on November 30, 2015The sunshine that resulted from the improved security situation in Pakistan in the wake of the civil-military concord of the past couple of years has been replaced by dark clouds of doubt and gloom. This is due to the military’s insistence — and the civilian leadership’s consequent shirking — running the country in an ordered […]
Here come the crazies on November 23, 2015For decades now, the international community has looked at terrorism as something external and far-removed. Seldom have there been coordinated and sustained efforts to look at the underlying issues and work towards long-term solutions. Even in cases where terrorism has reared its ugly head and caused much grief, we have tried to douse it with […]
Bloody skies on November 16, 2015When we were children, we used to look up at the skies every time we heard an airplane cruising above the atmosphere. We marvelled with glee at the alien craft, swimming through the air, defying all the rules of gravity. When we grew up a little and began to understand the science behind airplanes, that […]
The local dilemma on November 9, 2015Last week, the democratic government in Pakistan achieved a bit of a landmark when the first phase of the local government elections was finally held in parts of Punjab and Sindh in compliance with an earlier ruling of the Supreme Court (SC). The SC had been trying to nudge the provincial governments into devolving power […]
The Syrian quagmire on November 2, 2015Among the many challenges the contemporary world collectively faces today, a significant one is that of combating radicalism and terrorism. Borne out of the frustrations and inequalities of the capitalist, post-national world, the spectre of terrorism has been haunting many nations for the past couple of decades. Even now, when trillions have been spent on […]
A third intifada? on October 26, 2015Over the past couple of weeks, a deadly wave of violence has erupted in the West Bank, one that has so far claimed the lives of eight Israeli Jews and dozens of Palestinians. Stabbings and shootings have once again become commonplace in Israeli territory and, almost every day, for the past fortnight or so, there […]
Night and day on October 19, 2015One should never underestimate the power words can hold. For some, words may represent nothing more than grunts that allow us to communicate a little more efficiently than in the olden days. But the truth is that words have the power to alter consciousness and perception and, with them, the ensuing realities too. Of course, […]
Game of thrones on October 12, 2015Elections are interesting events. They are perhaps the only time when the masses — intoxicated with the Kool-Aid of participation and representation — flock to the polls to get their voices heard. It is an ongoing debate as to how much individual votes matter in a polity and whether or not the secret ballot ends […]
Down the rabbit hole on October 5, 2015Promises are tricky. While some may take the sanctity of a promise to heart, others say that promises are made to be broken and it is naïve to believe otherwise. I prefer to err on the side of the former but no matter which side of the debate you find yourself on, one thing is […]
No choice on September 28, 2015While the residents of Karachi may have had to bear with soaring temperatures in the past couple of days, the city’s biggest political party and the main power broker, the Mutahhida Qaumi Movement (MQM), has been feeling the heat for the past several weeks. Ever since the targeted counter-terrorism operation was launched in the wake […]