Deconstructing the JUI-F’s toxic dharna
Miftah Ismail has now been in jail for nearly a month. What we knew about him before he was jailed is that he is intellectually gifted, and capable of processing…
The JUI-F’s dilemma
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) is one of the oldest religio-political parties in the subcontinent. It has rendered a valuable contribution towards shaping the contemporary Muslim identity in India and Pakistan,…
Preparing for elections
In a democracy, elections hold significant importance and are seen as a tool to bring political stability to the country. Unfortunately all elections in Pakistan – except the 1970 general…
Levelling the field
A level playing field in politics means that all the political parties in play are treated equally and fairly. No political party is provided any undue advantage, specifically during elections.…
A pre-election watch
Since elections are likely to take place in January 2024 – at least per the announcement by the Election Commission of Pakistan – the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)…
Life in Allai
Just looking at the recent cable-car incident might make you think it is just an isolated event. But it is more than that. Eight people, including seven schoolchildren, were stuck…
Elections loom amid a myriad questions
The bizarre is not only commonplace, some argue it is the norm in Pakistan. Take for example the latest offering by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in power to appoint…
Electoral reforms
A joint session of parliament passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2023 last week. Through this bill, the coalition government has made 54 amendments in the Election Act 2017, most of…
The fault was in our policies
The terrible terrorist attack in Bajaur shows that, despite having sacrificed more than 70,000 lives and suffering financial losses worth over $100 billion, we have been unable to stamp out…
Bajaur atrocity
Pakistan’s long standing affliction of religious extremist terrorism is far from over. In Khar, Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), on July 30, 2023, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a…
