Drone strikes: shirking justice
As dusk fell on the village of Zowi Sidgi in July last year, a group of labourers gathered after a long day’s work. Some sold wood for a living, others…
Drones to end nightmare?
The week that ends tomorrow even by our standards was so hectic and, well, so insane it left one completely breathless. Each passing day and event underlined the work we…
Militancy and drones
THE debate in Pakistan on drone strikes has mostly revolved around two areas. First, that it violates Pakistan`s sovereignty; second, that it creates more jihadis. Both these arguments can easily…
Beyond the drones
The renewed debate on drone attacks in Fata and the response from the Pakistan authorities deserve due attention. The latest flurry of drone-related statements began with a report that drones…
Victims and victimhood
Salman Rushdie, a much-feted victim of intolerance, was vigorously promoting his memoir recently when I asked a friend in London to send me a copy of The Rushdie Letters. It…
Drone attacks – where do we stand?
There has been a policy shift by the government regarding the victims of US drone attacks in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It isn’t a major change and is…
A captain, not a cynic
Sometimes your column is a blissful two weeks out, but the prime minister puts his foot in it on day two. Alas, you sigh…carpe diem. The fact that our PM…
Condemn nation
Newton’s third law of motion states that ‘For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.’ Had Newton lived in Pakistan he may have been forced to revisit this…
The politics of the dead
Several human rights activists in Pakistan have observed the ‘double jeopardy’ that enables the systematic mass murders of the Hazara community in Balochistan. Their ethnic facial features make them identifiable…
Crime, culture and forensics
We are all aware of the failings. Five years ago tomorrow will mark not simply the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto but also scenes that have become etched…
