Karachi thinking on December 6, 2018When I used to teach at Forman Christian College I would organise a talk every fortnight on average. Such a high frequency of outside talks was certainly new for the college, but its Rector, Dr James Tebbe, always supported me, and once noted that when he was at Princeton, one of his professors told him […]
Umar Saif’s removal on November 20, 2018Now since that is out, let me also point out that this is not an article to simply bemoan the removal of Dr Umar Saif as Chairman, Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and Vice Chancellor, Information Technology University (ITU). Several sound minds, from across academia and the political divide, have expressed their rightly felt shock […]
Mocking the State on September 21, 2018So much ink has been spilled in the first month of the Imran Khan government that I really did not want to write anything about it. Saner people have commented, and I hope their pleas have been heard. But amongst those petitions, I want to add that of a historian, because, as it so happens, […]
President? But we already have a PM! on September 5, 2018Yesterday, the thirteenth President of Pakistan was elected by the National Assembly, Senate and the four provincial assemblies. Regardless of who won, we must not forget the rationale behind the office of the president and its function. Confusion about the duties of the president only weakens democracy and retards its development. The office of the […]
Has the PML-N actually lost? on August 17, 2018The final results of the July 24, 2018 elections show a clear victory for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), with a clear majority in the Khyber Pakhtunkawa (KP) assembly, and workable coalitions in the centre, Punjab and possibly Balochistan. Thus, for the first time in a while largely one party will lead three provinces and the […]
Making the Naya Pakistan on August 15, 2018Now that Naya Pakistan is nigh, many people are wondering about its contours. Will the old Pakistan completely disappear? Will the Naya Pakistan engulf old Pakistan? Or will it be created somewhere new? Perhaps all of old Pakistan might become Naya Pakistan? Just as such questions boggled the minds of those in the mental asylum […]
Who will be the final victor? on July 26, 2018It is just past 8pm in Pakistan on July 25, 2018. Today Pakistan has had its third consecutive election after the completion of two full parliamentary terms. The simple fact that this election was able to take place is a feat in itself. Just over a month ago, several commentators were not sure that the […]
Think nationally, vote locally on July 25, 2018Several commentators have emphasised that today’s elections are perhaps the most important in the history of Pakistan. While elections are always important — because they set the direction for the country — this election, the third consecutive one after two full terms is indeed epoch making. In fact, after the first general elections of 1970, […]
A decade to celebrate? on June 5, 2018For the first time in Pakistani history, the Parliament has completed two full terms. The first Parliament was elected on a limited franchise in 1946 and continued till 1955—it kept extending its tenure, much like the following dictatorships. Our first real democratically elected Parliament in 1970 wasn’t allowed to meet, since the people elected the […]
Elections and local manifestoes on June 1, 2018Pakistan seems to always be in uncharted territories — most of them are bad ones, but occasionally a good one appears on the horizon too. Therefore, hopefully in just under two months we will be having our third consecutive democratic election. This is not just uncharted territory, but a huge feat, as Pakistan has never […]