The quality of education in the public sector is plummeting in Pakistan and the entire education system is facing institutional decay. It appears that the factors responsible for the sorry state of affairs of education converge on a single point: Corrupti

Full Text :

A quick recap of the 13 points in the APC resolution would be:
1) Good intentions towards all, 2) New direction to policy to give peace a chance, 3) Dialogue for peace with our
own Tribals, 4) Better multi-layer relations with Afghanistan, 5) Recognition

Full Text :

As this piece was written, a serious incident broke on the national scene involving intrusion into our territory by American helicopters, which fired at our military check posts and killed two dozen army men and officers.

Caught between fear of the Super

Full Text :

“Impossible”, our President and Prime Minister would say. But who cares what they say in such matters. “Not
possible”, would also say the Army high command and they were much more likely to know what they were talking
about. But come! If we had asked the

Full Text :

As we hurtle towards the next elections, with some hope and more alarm in our hearts, there is much talk among
political leaders of forgetting the past or learning from the past, or of just letting bygones be bygones. But that is
neither here nor there!
A

Full Text :

I was reading the City Page of a national newspaper one sultry afternoon this month. Almost every other item had to
do with people killed on roads in Karachi in broad daylight, the killers escaping unchallenged in each case. I
gradually dozed off. Suddenl

Full Text :

A new mix-plate of Pak/American relations has been under active cookery for weeks now with several chefs, cooks and underlings trying their hand at it by adding their own special ingredients to the recipe, so no one knows what the mix-plate blend will tas

Full Text :

The strategy of the government in “dealing with” the judiciary, which had been undergoing a continuous change over several months following the Supreme Court verdict on NRO, has finally firmed up to a very disturbing profile. Gone is the respectful and s

Full Text :

After a 10-day break, supplies to NATO forces from our soil have once again begun to move! While politicians, commentators and armchair analysts have been urging the government since long to use the supply of essentials to the US/NATO forces in Afghanista

Full Text :

Last week, we saw two initiatives – both just what the doctor ordered – but neither will, alas, get anywhere in its present form! The reasons are different in each case. The first of these initiatives has to do with encouraging people to consume less suga

Full Text :

Waiting days over for Imran? At least so he appears to think. For several months past the PTI Chief has been boasting about how PTI would sweep the polls and about his campaign being nothing short of a political Tsunami. Several times during the fortnight

Full Text :

How else do you describe what the striking Doctors in the country are doing today (or were doing till recently) across hundreds of hospitals and emergency centers? Every day you read stories about people sick and suffering, in pain and misery, many of the

Full Text :

As we were ready to go to press, Zulfiqar Mirza, holy Quran on his head, burst on the scene, both barrels firing, with
deadly allegations against MQM Chief and Rehman Malik among others.
The allegations included: 1) In a very private meeting in London (in

Full Text :

Here we are in Pakistan, starved of fuel gas, a commodity vital for industry and homes alike, many industries closed, many homes without the means to cook except with firewood collected from the jungle as in the days of yore, miserable, starving, desperat

Full Text :

For a full 5 days a bloodbath was allowed to continue in Karachi particularly in Orangi before some tangible action
materialised. After over 100 deaths and perhaps many more wounded, help was allowed to come to the rescue of a
beleaguered town of perhaps

Full Text :

As these lines were being written an unprecedented fourth (in as many weeks) Suicide-Commando attack (a new one
on this scale) is being carried out at the Naval Command establishment in the heart of Karachi and not concluded
though 12 hours have elapsed s

Full Text :

The term Watershed is defined as a critical point that marks a division or a change of course; a turning point. In the
15 Mar 11 Spotlight I wondered why had the President allowed to be raked up as a Sindh issue (apparently
covertly), the matter of Judici

Full Text :

A new mix-plate of Pak/American relations has been under active cookery for weeks now with several chefs, cooks and underlings trying their hand at it by adding their own special ingredients to the recipe, so no one knows what the mix-plate blend will tas

Full Text :

Suddenly Egypt was in focus two weeks ago and has not let off. Everyone has been talking and writing and about
not much else: or so it seemed. Western media like BBC and CNN have been making relentless, round-the-clock
coverage of developments at Al Tahri

Full Text :

Amir Muqam, KPK politician, formerly with Jamaat-e-Islami and since some years now neither quite with nor
against the PML-Q, and holder of a ministerial position under Musharraf, was marvelling in a TV discussion at the
success Zardari had with just 124 m

Full Text :

Results of the just concluded by-elections for Punjab Assembly seats appear to have cast a pall of gloom on the spirits of PPP, of not just the rank and file, but also of party leaders and ministers. And no wonder! So close to the General Election a white

Full Text :

The Parliamentary Comm-ittee for Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) is about to deliver the much delayed reforms to purge the Constitution of the dross attached to it by the 17th Amendment, while also attempting to resolve some other issues of long standing li

Full Text :

What a week it was that just ended! Innocent people died by their dozens, some suddenly and many after suffering hours of agony. The wounded were counted in hundreds. Many would die in or on the way to the hospitals. Grief struck deep into the hearts of t

Full Text :

A cursory glance at the terrorist attacks on civilians and army personnel, on government officials and on assorted
gatherings – congregations and non-religious events alike – will be enough to show that the dastardly attacks show
no sign of coming to an e

Full Text :

Caught in the Executive web, the Judiciary struggles to enforce justice! At first one bemoaned the fact that the Government of PM Gilani (with Zardari allegedly calling all the shots) was not obeying the Judiciary in letter and spirit while paying lip ser

Full Text :

“We all lie” said an honourable federal minister in a TV debate. “We lie to our voters. We lie to the Election Commission. We lie to all concerned” or words to that effect, let me hasten to add.

The minister thought that if the conditionalities for eligi

Full Text :

But first the Donkey in the Cartoon! The PM story can wait! I liked the cartoon in the Urdu newspaper immediately and immensely! There stood the small but proud Donkey, with a capital “D”, tail held high. In the wake of the tragic, Bhoja Air crash near Is

Full Text :

One wondered how long the game would go on. How long would the judiciary allow the progress of high profile cases, affecting important functionaries of the PPP government to be held hostage to the machinations of the Federal Law Ministry under Babar Awan,

Full Text :

Some appeared to be running around just to retain the goodies they were already in possession of and enjoying,
thanks to the political position bestowed on them by millions of hapless voters – luxurious living, big bungalows,
cars galore, any number of se

Full Text :

Mystifying, many a time, are the ways of the Almighty! Both His blessings and His thunderbolts can come in ways no one could predict or foresee. Aitzaz Ahsan who stood firm and steadfast, along with his eminent colleagues and thousands of lawyers, through

Full Text :

Choosing between past baggage, on the one hand, and baggage present and ongoing, on the other: does that correctly
describe the choice between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari respectively? First let us look at the state of the country
after nearly four year

Full Text :

Are people getting dangerously close to open defiance of authority, such as it is? Increase in transport fares of public transport buses in a Rawalpindi-Islamabad locality appeared to be the immediate cause of unprecedented street demonstrations on Murree

Full Text :

In the backdrop of the ongoing judiciary/executive crisis, a wholly new story burst on the national scene on Thursday/Friday 14/15 October 10, which had the potential to give a precipitous turn to the crisis possibly with serious long-term consequences.

Full Text :

Let us take a look at the lives of a few of our fellow countrymen who have fallen on desperate times for no fault of their own and groan under unbearable burdens due to poor governance and corruption in the country. Are they the only ones? By no means! Th

Full Text :

Something had to be done! The Judiciary under CJP Chaudhry was giving sleepless nights to lots of people. There was the Contempt case which had already resulted in a symbolic sentence against PM Gilani and could cause him much more worry by the time the f

Full Text :

During my college days, I happened to read a novel titled The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde,
recognised as a great playwright who wrote several famous plays. Dorian is the supernatural and eerie story of an
exceptionally good-looking Engli

Full Text :

We hear a lot of talk of the tail (Israel) wagging the dog (USA). This description fits American-Israeli relations to a tee as they say. The reasons for this phenomenon – at least some of them – are not so well known or understood as need be.
Despite the

Full Text :

Is it not a scandal? At a time when all of us should be thinking-talking-acting relief and rehabilitation, our attention is diverted instead in numerous other directions in response to various developments many of which are of no consequence at all while

Full Text :

Testifying under oath before a court of law is one thing, making a political statement under oath in public is quite another. When one does that then for most people his other political statements would not carry the same truth-value.
Political oaths: a n

Full Text :

Take the case of the slapping lady (25th February 12). What happened was there for all to see. In fact the Media took a lot of pleasure in splashing the sorry event ad infinitum, pushing many other problems on the backburner for some time. But despite thi

Full Text :

The glory the Sharifs are enjoying is because of me only, and I can snatch it from them whenever I want”. This was the President speaking on a visit to Lahore while addressing a meeting of his party people. Unbelievably he is also reported to have added t

Full Text :

In a most disturbing development early last week, our worthy Foreign Minister, on a visit to America to meet American officials, for what has been called the Third Strategic Partnership Dialogue, has thought fit to admonish Iran for not kow-towing to Amer

Full Text :

The week started with a rumble from high up in the skies where the lone superpower has its abode. The rumble increased in intensity and on Thursday a thunderbolt was sent down in the direction of our ISI by US Admiral Mike Mullen, accusing it of exporting

Full Text :

The counsel for the federation, Mr Kamal Azfar, appearing in the Supreme Court in the case of the infamous NRO, now struck down ab initio by the apex court, called the GHQ a “a bad boy” and the Army chief a “gentleman.” He said, “You want me to say it mor

Full Text :

I opened the newspaper at mid-week last week to find in print no less than 13 items of all kinds pertaining to the disgraceful issue of fake degrees, just that day. One would have thought it was a black and white issue: people who had lied and cheated the

Full Text :

Strange are the times our country is passing through – perhaps more depressing than strange! Take railways, for
instance. The British rulers left a highly functional, relatively safe and reliable transport system linking all important
cities and towns.
No

Full Text :

We do not believe in being pessimistic. But tell us: At this point in time do you see any cheer in the goings on in the country in its entire length and breadth? Is anything happening by way of improving things be it the power situation driving unemployme

Full Text :

It is important that President Asif Zardari move expeditiously to clear his name of a host of allegations that have been making rounds since many years now – both important and necessary – if he wants to complete his three remaining years in office in rel

Full Text :

At the end of the week, hints and projections about the MQM patch up with PPP and yet another MQM re-entry to
the seats of power took practical shape in the form of a major reversal of remapping steps taken just a few days ago.
According to newspaper repo

Full Text :

At least not for me! I could vividly recall an interview Javed Hashmi had given on a TV channel some months ago
in which he had complained bitterly about neglect of his constituency and its needs by the government of his own
party in Punjab. In response t

Full Text :

I had finished writing my column on Sunday evening when PM Gilani burst on the media scene claiming that
everything was under control, every one – friend and foe – had been mollified and danger to himself and to his
government had evaporated.
In specific

Full Text :

I wonder why our agile media has failed to show in a comic slide show, the recent pronouncement of our worthy Prime Minister. We have watched those of Manzoor Wassan Home Minister Sindh and Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani on one TV channel or ano

Full Text :

The government and its law ministry appear to be playing games with the judiciary. Among other things, the 17-member bench of the Supreme Court, in its judgement of 16 December 2009, had unanimously expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the NA

It was odd indeed that a party in power should call for a strike. And that against a Supreme Court decision – a Court
it never tires of claiming it holds in great esteem! Odder still that the strike was called immediately after the
Supreme Court short ord

Full Text :

Heard of MCQs? It is the Acronym (short form) for Multiple Choice Questions. The air kept resounding with the
term these last few weeks during which academic examinations of various types were in progress. An MCQ is a type
of question quite in favour with

Full Text :

The TV channels are having a great time screening and rescreening the choice words used by the likes of Pervaiz
Elahi, Chaudhry Shujaat, and Mushahid Hussain among others about the PPP government of President Zardari.
Equally interesting words used in not

Full Text :

One wondered at the firmness which Maulana Fazlur Rehman, JUI-F chief displayed in his opposition to resumption of NATO supplies, in his postures, interviews, public speeches, TV discussions and even in his talk with the American ambassador Cameron Munter

Full Text :

Just think how much would have been swept under the carpet and remained there but for the “new” Media! In the current scenario for example, we would not have been enabled to see first hand reports of how people in their miserable millions were coping with

Full Text :

The whole country is caught up in commotion over the dastardly act in which an as yet unknown blackguard (as against wild, irresponsible speculation about his identity) attempted to kill (and almost succeeded) a little, young, brave girl (who dared to rai

Full Text :

Not to have seen it coming was lack of political acumen of the highest order. By the time Nawaz Sharif woke up from his latest hibernation to the reality of the situation, eight people lay dead on the streets of the Hazara region and, perhaps, 80 to 90 we

Full Text :

If the 26 June elections in Azad Kashmir are any sign of the times to come, we are in for the very sorry spectacle
that the next general elections are likely to be. Nawaz Sharif chose to attack President Asif Zardari in the strongest
terms yet but also di

Full Text :

Among developments attracting deep attention in the country over the last three years, the PTI rally in Lahore will count (though not in the same genre) with the exit of Musharraf from the Presidency and from the country, the restoration of the Supreme Ju

Full Text :

The PPP government may have failed in putting the finances of the country on a firm footing, failed in providing effective relief to victims of the mega disaster that the floods were, failed in checking inflation, failed in curtailing wasteful expenditure

Full Text :

In media – print or screen or on political platforms – we are talking about NRO about the Swiss case, about the Contempt Articles in the Constitution and about the Contempt legislation passed in panic by our worthy legislators and debunked in no time by t

Full Text :

American history tells us about the “great depression” faced by that country in the early thirties. “The American dream had become a nightmare. What was once the land of opportunity was now the land of desperation. What was once the land of hope and optim

Full Text :