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Shrinking runway of Flight PK-1947

For years, both Pakistan’s most passionately patriotic daughters and sons as well as Pakistan’s most dyed-in-the-wool enemies have kind of grappled with the same question: how much more runway does…

Ramazan Of 1947, And Now

Ramazan of 1947, and now

Ramzan of 1947 also fell in the long and thirsty days of the subcontinental summer. Some 68 years ago, the same sun beat down on fasting, parched throats, refusing to…

Middle class in crisis

A BUSINESS publication recently reported that in the first five months of the current fiscal year, salaried employees contributed Rs200 billion as income tax. This is Rs72bn (or 56 per…

Myth of separation

The idea of separation of powers is often hailed as a foundational principle of modern governance, but it doesn’t necessarily focus on empowering ordinary citizens. At its core, it’s about…

A new Afghan war in the offing?

The famous quote "Geography is destiny" aptly applies to Pakistan, which remains a permanent prisoner of its geography. In the last 70 years, Pakistan has fought six open wars and…

The Kurram conundrum

The Kurram district, situated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has historically been a region of considerable strategic significance and cultural depth. Nestled along the western frontier, it shares a volatile border with…

How 2000-2025 shaped Pakistan

As the sun set on December 31, I wondered what the new year would bring for Pakistan. Being a social scientist and heading a firm that measures the pulse of…

People’s histories in Pakistan

Political power in Pakistan – or in any other country for that matter – owes much to those who have been writing history with a particular bend to shape the…

Intractable realities

THIS is not a perfect world. These six words were cynically hurled at me around midnight by the person occupying the presidential mansion in Islamabad in 2009. He was mad…

Germinating seeds

EVERY country is a continuum — even one as comparatively young as Pakistan. In 1947, Pandit Nehru cannily chose India, leaving the Quaid to grapple with an acronym. Seventy-seven years…