A new Bangladesh?
EIGHTEEN months on from the momentous mass protests which upended political life in Bangladesh, the long-awaited general election has finally come to pass, ushering in what many are celebrating as…
A new Bangladesh?
EIGHTEEN months on from the momentous mass protests which upended political life in Bangladesh, the long-awaited general election has finally come to pass, ushering in what many are celebrating as…
Reclaiming Lyari’s soul
News moves quickly through the tight alleyways of Lyari. Usually, the chatter is about a local football match, a Balochi poetry session or the death of a community elder. Lately,…
Going back in time
WITH a series of significant constitutional amendments as well as de facto changes in governance, a distinctive political system is taking shape in Pakistan. The fact that it is authoritarian goes without…
There’s an art to letting go
Everyone is replaceable, and we need to realise that. The sooner we understand and implement the succession concept, the better it will be for the longevity of our system. It…
Myth vs reality
Myth number 1: Article 243 equals ‘army rule’. Reality: The army is the largest service in Pakistan’s threat environment. That is geography, not conspiracy. Yes, the battlespace is land-heavy –…
One amendment after another
By the time this piece is published, Pakistan stands to lose a Supreme Court and any modicum of an independent judiciary. Justice Yahya Afridi shall be the last chief justice…
Explaining Trump 2.0
THE American empire is committing suicide. Americans re-elected Donald Trump, knowing his fascist proclivities, to accomplish precisely this aim. Notwithstanding the clownish aspects of the fascist consolidation of power (reminiscent of the…
Judicial surrender
IN October 2023, when the Supreme Court struck down the military trials of civilians, the detailed judgement began with the following quote: “even amid the clash of arms, the laws…
A question of gender
IT has been nearly a month since Mahrang Baloch was arrested. This previous weekend, the PTI’s Aliya Hamza was also arrested and taken to Adiala Jail. The two women were arrested in different parts…
