The fundamentalist mind
Fundamentalism is a controversial term, ascribed first to 19thcentury American Protestant groups which preached strict adherence to basic biblical tenets. It is now applied loosely to all groups exhibiting broadly…
Overlooked demographics
There are some facts that both news reporters and readers become overly fond of. For example, it is a fact that populations across the Muslim world are growing at an…
Enemies within
The single most important factor that determines the fate of a nation and its state of socio-economic development is education. It is the scientists and engineers that are changing the…
In Karachi’s mirror
That first SMS I received on Friday morning could well have been a good morning wish. But it brought bad news. The message from friend Kamran Arif just said that…
The coming wars
"Changes in our environment and the resulting upheavals - from droughts to inundated coastal areas to loss of arable lands - are likely to become a major driver of war…
Inequality in society
With elections approaching, the usual claims from incumbent political parties of being pro-poor and even ‘revolutionary’ have increased in both frequency and amplitude. Notwithstanding their magnificent promises of ending corruption,…
Changing mindsets
When Sheema Kermani launched her play Zehreela Dhooan, she probably didn’t realise how formidable would be her battle against the cigarette. In this play a cast of eight earnest people…
Tax amnesty for whom?
The Political and Strategy Committee (PSC) of Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI), in a meeting held under its Chairman Imran has expressed deep concern over the introduction of Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill…
The curse of silence
We are watching a genocide take place before our eyes; Shias are being killed mercilessly. The Hazara community in Quetta has been decimated. The Hazara Shias – numbering some 700,000…
Economic instability
Increasing government expenditure, basic economic theory maintains, is a powerful policy tool useful during times of recession, with low output and low inflation, as it provides the necessary fuel to…
