Welcome musical interlude
WITH so much murder and mayhem in the world, so much turmoil and intolerance, a genocide (now paused) in the name of ‘self-defence’ and with twisted ideologies and terrorism taking…
The 99 per cent
SINDH is in the throes of arguably the biggest mass movement since the MRD in the 1980s. Opposition to the damning of the Indus river has animated its politics for…
Discussing South Asian peace: Part – I
The Black Hole is a community centre in Islamabad that holds engaging discussions, conducts informative sessions, and offers entertaining performances nearly every day. Established in March 2022, it will soon…
Opposition alliance but for what?
Pakistan has a troubled history with democracy, often oscillating between civilian rule and military interventions. Opposition alliances, usually formed under the banner of restoring democracy, have paradoxically played a role…
Three paths to power
HOW have political forces opposed to incumbent regimes managed to find their way (back) into political power? Pakistan’s history provides us with quite a few examples and a number of…
An ode to the political worker
PAKISTAN’S history is replete with the heroism of political workers who have repeatedly demonstrated that their commitment to democratic ideals is total and that they will risk life, limb, and…
People and governance
Even as elections approach, the people’s will to demand what they need most of all appears to be largely absent. Amidst the smog that holds Lahore in a perpetual haze…
Tales from a labour activist
There are plenty of biographies written by civil and military bureaucrats. But they tend to focus on their achievements instead of failures and present a picture in which others are…
Legacy of courage
On October 23, 2011, Begum Nusrat Bhutto’s death marked the end of an era in Pakistani politics, leaving a void that was deeply felt by the Bhutto family, political parties,…
Khan’s strategy
The recent political manoeuvrings of Imran Khan have created an impression that he is a true Machiavellian. In his recent speech at a public gathering in Lahore, he again tried…
