Beggars cannot be choosers
Since Ayub's era our rulers have developed addiction for large intakes of foreign loans, especially IMF bailouts - many call it death-blows. With every loan comes a host of conditions.…
Obama won’t say it, but vote on Syria has high stakes for his presidency
It seems that everyone in Washington is talking about it except President Barack Obama: When Congress votes on the administration's request to use military force in Syria, the future of…
Those who live in history
Asif Ali Zardari has completed his five-year constitutional term as President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and left the President's House in a dignified manner. Today, the world recognizes…
Different women
The US-educated Pakistani scientist – jailed in the US on terrorist charges – Dr Aafia Siddiqui, is back in the news. In fact she never entirely disappeared from it, with…
Army isn’t the solution
After five years of PPP's 'democratic' dispensation (over which its co-chairman and Pakistan's sitting president has 'no regrets') the issue reaching the boiling point is the deep-rooted lawlessness all over…
A narrow agenda
IT appears the prime minister`s revised offer of talks to the militants in his first address to the nation accentuated the existing differences among the latter on how to respond.…
A plan at last
The federal interior minister’s excellent initiative for reinvigorating the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) is most welcome as is the concept of a National Intelligence Secretariat. Nacta has been mostly dormant,…
LoC under spotlight
During January and February this year, skirmishes between the border security forces of India and Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir resulted cost the lives of six…
Sharif in Wonderland
It may have not been difficult for Nawaz Sharif to reclaim the top position. But he certainly does not appear comfortable there. His morose demeanour portrays a man in deep…
Islamabad diary…Wanted: changes in the jail manual
The defensibility of our jails having been conclusively established - if Bannu left any doubts, Dera Ismail Khan should have dissipated them – it is time now to draw the…
