Liberalism and conservatism
Celebrating the hegemony of political Islam (Shaukat-e-Islam) while addressing a mass gathering at Larkana, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, amir of the JUI-F, came down heavily against those who want ‘liberalism’ in…
What lies beneath
The astonishing ‘return of the prodigal son’ drama that unfolded last week in Karachi when former mayor Mustafa Kamal ‘revealed’ the foreign sponsors of Altaf Hussain and the Muttahida Qaumi…
A new direction for IS?
The Brussels terrorist attacks have made it evident that the militant Islamic State group (IS) is transforming into a global terrorist network. The group’s weakening territorial control in Iraq and…
The Sanders moment
Let us suppose for a moment that, by some miracle, Bernie Sanders makes it into the White House. How much of his broadly commendable agenda would he be able to…
In the name of narratives
“This is a war of narratives ... there is a dire need to come up with counter-narratives ... the menace of terrorism cannot be dealt with without countering the extremist,…
Politics of the disenchanted
The Guardian journalist Seamus Milne hailed it as ‘a political eruption of historic proportions’. Prime Minister David Cameron claimed it represented a threat to Britain’s national security. Whatever else it…
Forward to the past
The movie Back to the Future portrayed humanity’s high-tech future. But fundamentalists distort scriptural teachings to pursue ‘forward to the past’ narratives where futures mirror ancient pasts. Recent experiences across…
Who runs Pakistan?
It is hard not to sit up and take notice of the chief of army staff’s current preoccupations in America. This is not the first time over the past year…
The mirage of a brave new world
Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Tahirul Qadri, Altaf Hussain, Asif Ali Zardari and an assortment of other power-obsessed leaders profess to be agents of change. There is certainly evidence of a…
Realignment of militants
FIVE Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders including the militant group’s spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid have announced their oath of allegiance to Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi, self-proclaimed caliph of the militant group Islamic State.…
