What ails Kurram?
Kurram Agency has once again been in the news for all the wrong reasons. A series of land dispute/sectarian clashes have once again been in evidence off and on since…
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,…
Why the TTP is undefeatable
AS the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) ramp up their murderous attacks on Pakistani soldiers, ISI officers, police, and ordinary citizens, the men who run Pakistan’s security establishment are trotting out the…
Acting quickly
PERHAPS no other recent foray in diplomacy has attracted as much attention as the recent Chinese triumph in negotiating the Iran-Saudi agreement. It is a triumph that was achieved at…
Sectarian harmony
GILGIT-BALTISTAN was recently in the news because of a sectarian stand-off. Luckily, the ulema in GB agreed to put their sectarian differences aside and help the regional government maintain law…
The plight of the minorities
August 11, 2024 was ‘celebrated’ as Minorities Day, as has been the custom now since 2009. The date, August 11, was chosen to mark Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s address to…
Muharram in a new city
I visited Ancholi for the first time last year during Muharram – on the 9th. For those who don't know, Ancholi is an archetypal Karachi middle-class locality: closely adjoined asymmetrical…
Pathways to peace
‘The Challenge of Enlightenment, Conflict Transformation and Peace in Pakistan’ by Moonis Ahmar is a comprehensive analysis of the intricate dynamics of conflict and peacebuilding in Pakistan. Through a meticulous…
Descent into madness, barbarism
The events of August 16, 2023 in Jaranwala have evoked an unusual chorus in harmony of condemnation. And so they should. But let us attempt a balance sheet of the…
Religious minorities’ woes
Amidst all the kerfuffle about general elections looming on the horizon, our attention has been diverted (inadvertently or deliberately?) from the continuing plight of religious minorities in our society. Consider.…
