Jinnah and Salam on May 9, 2018If there was ever any doubt that Pakistan and India were conjoined twins who grew up to have a volatile and self-destructive rivalry, the events of the last couple of weeks should have done away with them. It doesn’t matter if we keep our heads buried in the sand, both countries are now mirror images […]
Minorities and the elections on April 22, 2018Every five years (and I hope it remains five), the question of minorities’ participation in the election arises. While some minority leaders create a lot of noise about representation, including calls for a ‘dual vote,’ most major political parties feel content after mere lip service or some other token gesture. However, the issue of minorities […]
Choosing the next HEC Chairman on April 17, 2018This week a very important committee will be meeting, where the deliberations will have a far reaching effect on the future of Pakistan, an effect greater than most of the current political machinations. The meeting will be of the Selection Committee for the next Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC), which will […]
The looming holocaust on March 23, 2018Lets first get the facts right: Pakistan is a country of almost 210 million people (including people of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan who we don’t count as citizens yet!), where only about 5 percent of the population is non-Muslim. That is about 11 million in this large country. Out of the 11 million, just about […]
Trudeau in India on March 6, 2018Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau’s recent week-long visit to India has been termed as a major PR disaster for the heartthrob leader. His wearing of Indian clothes right out of a Bollywood wedding, and dancing to Bhangra beats in Delhi were seen as embarrassments. But can we see this from another perspective too? Viewed […]
A thinking Pakistan on February 21, 2018A few weeks ago I helped arrange the second edition of the Afkar-e-TazaThinkFest in Lahore. Before the event took off, several people warned me not to have it at the Alhamra, the largest and best avenue for such events in Lahore. Their reasoning was that such a ‘dry’ and ‘academic’ event would not take off […]
Pakistan’s ‘blood-thirsty liberals’ on December 5, 2017In the past week, ‘liberals’ in Pakistan have gone from being ‘bloody liberals’ to ‘blood thirsty’ liberals thanks to the liberality of Imran Khan and his views. Initially I thought that I should let it go, since if one begins to comment every time on the absurd statements he comes up with, one would have […]
Verna: a missed opportunity on November 26, 2017Like many Pakistanis I was eagerly awaiting the release of the film, Verna. The third in the series directed by the famed Shoaib Mansoor, the controversy surrounding its clearance from the Censor Board added to the excitement. Everyone knew that it dealt with the topic of rape, a topic often ignored in Pakistan, but it […]
Remembrance Sunday on November 19, 2017A few days ago most Commonwealth countries commemorated Remembrance Sunday. The day is observed on the nearest Sunday to November 11 to mark the anniversary of the treaty signed to end the first world war. The fallen — both military and civilian are commemorated. However, despite the deep significance of this day, the event passed […]
Gilgit’s Independence Day on November 1, 2017A few months ago, both India and Pakistan celebrated seventy years of independence. While independence has been a mixed bag on both sides of the Radcliffe line, the sheer power of freedom is strong and gives hope, strength and vitality to a people. Hence despite shortcomings and the communal holocaust the partition unleashed, the freedom […]