The great Indian poet and lyricist Gulzar has written a valediction on Books, which have been locked in big cupboards, with little hope for their relevance in present times. In the poem discussed below, he has juxtaposed the golden past of books with their present misery, and I am quoting a few translated passages from […]
China’s phenomenal economic progress
My initial urge, to know more about China, came through my readings of Bertrand Russell. Russell, one of the greatest minds of 20th century who had visited China on a lecture trip in 1920 staying there for 9 months, visiting many places and people. In this trip he delivered several lectures and received immense love, […]
Dilip Kumar: Never Will There Be One Like Him
Mohammad Yusuf Khan was born on December 11, 1922, in Peshawar in the house of a fruit merchant. In the late thirties, the family shifted to Bombay. Here, a chance meeting with Devika Rani, who was the boss of the famous Bombay Talkies, proved to be a turning point in his life. Recognizing his latent […]
Why we need to regulate the Internet
The Internet is the modern day equivalent of Aladdin’s lamp. But without all the bother of giving it a quick polish whenever we want to ask it for something. Today, we are only ever one click away from getting hold of almost anything that takes our fancy. This global system of interconnected computer networks emerged […]
Conflict of Interest
The present politico-legal landscape of Pakistan has brought into sharp focus the concept of ‘conflict of interest’, which is comparatively new for most people including those who are connected with the legal profession. This may be due to the fact that in Pakistan, no litigation has ever been brought against the wrong caused by a […]
A judicial salvation
The evolution of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has always been regarded as a good augury for our country. From a struggling novice in politics a few years ago, Khan has proved himself as a galvanised crowd-puller, a game-changer and a potential threat to the existing political monolithic personalities. His past record in sports and […]
Is humour relevant today?
In recent times, it seems our land is becoming barren of humour and laughter. More recently, it seems as if it has become a taboo to laugh, and even smiling makes your intentions doubtful. The newspapers are full of sad and somber stuff. Politicians have lost trust of the people, and have found “politicking” within […]
CII and the social realities
The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) is a constitutional body that was created in 1961 to advise the government or an elected assembly whether a proposed or existing law is repugnant to the injunctions of Islam or not, but its recommendations are not binding. The CII has been issuing rulings for decades, but its recommendations […]
Dr Qadri: his agenda and relevance
Dr Tahirul Qadri may be forgotten in due course of time, but he would certainly remain a hot topic until January 14, 2013. His disappearance from Pakistan for a long time, his arrival at this critical juncture and his sudden awakening to the weaknesses of electoral laws when the general election is already on the […]
The extension debate
In recent days, some circles have demanded an extension of the tenure of General Raheel Sharif, the army chief, the propriety of which needs to be examined in the present context of our history. Government service is a disciplined cadre of employees designed to serve the people and the state, and is governed by specific […]