Paramilitary policing
The Sindh cabinet recently extended the special policing powers granted to the Rangers under Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 in Karachi division for 90 days.…
Eliminate enforced disappearances
August 30 marks the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Since 2011 this day has been observed to remind UN member states of the steps they ought to…
Not by force alone
The ongoing debate on the Rangers’ mandate in Karachi and its time frame is apparently missing the central issue, namely, a mega metropolitan city’s need for a democratic, efficient and…
Countering terror — beyond labels
During the past few weeks, terrorists affiliated with the TTP), Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) have been referred to by Pakistani authorities as Khawarij. This term,…
Disunited legal community
EVER SINCE the passage of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, influential lawyers, one after the other, have come out to threaten a widespread lawyers’ movement. Notable lawyers leading the…
Breakdown of democracy
PAKISTAN is experiencing a complete breakdown of democracy with a powerless civilian set-up at the centre, caretaker governments in Punjab and KP serving beyond their constitutional mandate, a divided judiciary…
Militancy in Sindh
A COLLECTION of small nationalist insurgent groups has been making its presence felt in Sindh for the last several years. However, the government and security institutions appear to be least…
Kashmir: facing multiple assaults
Just about every aspect of life for Muslims in occupied Jammu and Kashmir is under assault by India’s ruling BJP. The year 2022 saw Indian actions aimed at disempowering its…
Civil war?
PAKISTAN’S polity is fractured. Politicians are not willing to unlock horns; the economy is slipping down a steep slope; and terrorist forces are resurging. Some analysts view this situation as…
Killing fields
BALOCHISTAN is on the boil again and precious lives continue to be lost in the province, with little or no acknowledgement that the so-called iron-hand policy being pursued there since…
