Another wake-up call
Visibility was very poor when four terrorists attacked the campus of Bacha Khan University in Charsadda on Wednesday morning, making rescue operations difficult. An interpretation of how this happened and…
Her solo flight
Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan was 40 years old when her husband, Barrister Saifullah Khan, died in 1964 at the age of 49. As her son Salim Saifullah Khan recalled, she…
The maulana’s politics
The stance of the political parties in and outside parliament during the passage of the 21st Amendment was a study in contrast. It was obvious that circumstances had forced the…
The Qadri-Imran joint enterprise
Martin Luther, the German theologian whose writings inspired the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, also believed uncompromisingly that “God would prefer to suffer the government to exist no matter…
The community is fighting back
The last few days witnessed two very sad but significant events in quick succession. In a small village called Ibrahimzai in Hangu, 15-year-old Aitizaz Hasan, triumphed over terrorists by stopping…
Statesmanship or gamesmanship?
More than 150 people lost their lives in the run-up to the elections; and on election day itself, scores were injured. Despite all fear and intimidation, the people – by…
A game of Russian roulette
We need to keep careful score as this election campaign moves on. The question that is emerging is not just that of who will win the poll, but of how…
What is there to talk about?
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) delights in showing us off as a helpless and contemptible force. So last week, when the TTP’s offer of peace talks hit the newswires we perked…
Monarchies, dynasties, institutions
It has become de rigueur these days for many commentators to speak alarmingly about the pitfalls of political dynasties. The ‘dynasties’ they particularly disapprove of are the Sharif and the…
Is a new party needed?
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has repeatedly mentioned that there is room for a new political party. There are many opinions about this within Pakistani political circles, but none…
