Past vs present: a modern perspective on December 7, 2019Times are changing so fast that in our daily routine, we hear people comparing the present time with the past with a nostalgic longing for the moments that have gone by. I have hardly ever seen an elderly manspeaking good words about the present while comparing it with the past. Even the younger lot relish […]
‘Don’t ask me for that Love again’ on November 26, 2019Poetry is a genre essentially to be read, recited and enjoyed. The total effects of a good piece of poetry, which it leaves on the reader, are very difficult to communicate to others, because of one’s inability to convey the same emotions, excitement and delight that is only possible through the poetic medium. Faiz, for […]
Religion and politics on November 17, 2019“The popular belief that religion is the cause of the world’s bloodiest conflicts is central to our modern conviction that faith and politics should never mix. But the messy history of their separation suggests it was never so simple,” said Karen Armstrong, the greatest authority on religion today. Our history is replete with the ferocious […]
Have we Forgotten Iqbal? on November 9, 2019Allama Iqbal’s birth anniversary falls on 9th November this year. It has been noticed and in sharp contrast to the way Iqbal Day used to be celebrated a few decades away, now it usually passes away unnoticed. This shows that his appeal to Pakistan’s new generation has suffered a decline which is a matter of […]
Logical fallacies in Pakistani Politics on November 3, 2019A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning common enough to warrant a fancy name. Logical relates to something based on reason and logic, and fallacy is mistaken belief based on unsound arguments. Despite being a contradiction in terms, it has yet gained a universal currency. Every second tweet of President Trump is based on […]
Growth of soft power on October 26, 2019Notwithstanding its rich historical and cultural heritage, Pakistan has been unable to attract the world’s attention. Traditionally, the hard power of a nation remains one of the basic tools of foreign policy projection around the world. But after the process of globalisation, the term “soft power” became current, which reflected the peaceful application of power. […]
Religious card on October 20, 2019Moulana Fazalur Rehman President of JUI(F)has been bickering against the present government for the last one year after losing the electoral battle along with many of his party men in the last General Election. Since he was the only vocal remnant of his class dabbling in politics, therefore sitting idle and brooding over his last […]
‘Hate Speech’ in Pakistan on October 6, 2019“People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use”, wrote Kierkegaard realizing that there are very few men who can afford to think, and a whole lot of humanity wanting to speak. Speech admittedly comes more trippingly on the tongue than losing one’s head on a hard […]
Reply to Indian rejoinder on October 1, 2019In a strongly-worded reply, Vidisha Maitra, the first secretary of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, called the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s address “hate speech” and said it attempts to ‘sharpen differences’ and ‘stir up hatred.’ She pointed out that the General Assembly rarely witnesses such misuse or “abuse” as she called it, of an […]
Perception and reality on September 23, 2019Yesterday, I read a headline, “European parliamentarians have slammed Pakistan for harbouring militants, with one of them saying terrorists who carried out attacks in India did not come from the Moon.” This implied that the terrorists were sent from Pakistan. I was shocked to see the perception of European countries about Pakistan. Could anybody make […]