Two speeches, two visions
If any further reminder of the world being in disarray was needed, the speeches delivered by the presidents of two superpowers, the United States and China, provided it at the…
TA tale of three speeches
THE day Asif Zardari was supposed to make one speech, he ended up making three. Well, he only meant to make two, but he made three. This isn’t statecraft; it’s…
Restoring Pakistan’s confidence
For quite some time, every businessman, economist and entrepreneur has argued, with urgency and frustration, that Pakistan’s economic crisis is not just a story of numbers, deficits, debt or macroeconomic…
Can we make COP30 count?
For the first time, the Loss and Damage Fund has money on the table, not just promises. The real test is whether Pakistan can secure its share. At COP30 in…
Killing the Constitution
“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command” — 1984 by George Orwell PAKISTAN has witnessed military dictators…
The forsaken ones
This is the story of a state with a modern, clean and green capital city. It is bedecked with sprawling houses and gleaming towers. The (would be) ruler resides in…
Healing a wounded society
When you contemplate the present state of affairs in Pakistan from various perspectives and glide over the media headlines, the impression that we are locked in a struggle against terrorism…
Cheap labour, costly silence
Almost thirty years ago, a boy named Iqbal Masih was shot dead near Lahore. He was twelve, the age most children should be in school, not running from factory owners…
Judges: to be seen and not heard?
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has recently amended the code of conduct for Supreme Court and high court judges. The SJC derives its powers from Article 211 (8) of the…
The fourth ‘A’
THE United Nations General Assembly functions as an air-pump: it inflates the egos of national leaders. The UNGA provides them a stage in New York where, (in Shakespeare’s words), they…
