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The Sharifs And The Religious Right

The Sharifs and the religious right

Political alarm bells have begun to ring after the recent secondary dissection of the rightist vote bank into sectarian divisions after a period of 40 long years. It was in…

The Walking Dead

The walking dead

After the excitement over the by-election in Lahore’s NA-120 had died down, pundits began wondering about the significance of the recent emergence of a new political outfit, the Milli Muslim…

More Space

More space

The case for mainstreaming is attractive. Groups that have for decades relied on violence, the argument goes, could be persuaded to take a growing interest in the democratic process. By…

Where The Limit Lies

Where the limit lies

A notable difference between Donald Trump’s Afghan policy and the policies pursued by his two predecessors is evident in its being bereft of any ideological mooring. The new US administration…

Challenging Conventions

Challenging conventions

The recent action against Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) leaders is being interpreted in many ways. Some say it is an attempt to avoid sanctions by Donald Trump’s administration. Others link it…

Losing Votes In NA-120 And Beyond

Losing votes in NA-120 and beyond

We should not read too much into the NA-120 by-election, but we should not read too little into it either. One way to see the contest for former prime minister…

Making Sense Of Donald

Making sense of Donald

I never thought I would pen two consecutive pieces on Donald Trump, but this one is inspired more by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria’s incessant efforts at trying to place…

Diplomat Uses Sledgehammer

Diplomat uses sledgehammer

His cv says he was an “aeronautical engineer” before joining the Foreign Service, but having had the benefit of listening to the views of Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria, one…

Changing Names

Changing names

We need to start drawing up a linear list of organisations – somewhat along the lines of a family tree – if we are to keep track of the extremist…

Terror In The Heartland Again

Terror in the heartland again

Like so many past terrorist attacks, there was forewarning of the latest suicide bombing that struck Lahore on Monday. Yet the carnage could not be prevented. Despite the alert, the…