Judging faith
The debate touched off by the way Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution were applied by the returning officers (ROs) to assess the eligibility of the candidates running for…
Stifling Jinnah’s Pakistan
We should be thankful to the returning officer who disqualified former lawmaker and one of the country’s leading columnists Mr Ayaz Amir from the 2013 elections for his alleged ‘thought-crime’…
Elections and ‘Ideology of Pakistan’
The Election Commission's returning officers, drawn from subordinate judiciary, have been taking vicarious pleasure in applying Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution to determine the qualifications/disqualifications of candidates on…
Islamic criteria?
How can I buy an ideology of Pakistan that someone with Ayaz Amir’s intellectual calibre is considered to be flouting and someone like Pervez Musharraf is seen to protect? The…
The knowledge society
The capacity for learning is one of the distinct gifts bestowed upon human beings. It is because of this capacity that humans have contributed to civilisation through continuous reflection, exploration…
Undermining the elections
In our own little world of feudal-colonial-authoritarian traditions, the aspirations for democratic values and institutions are evenly matched by a discomfort with both values and institutions. How deep is that…
The ides of March again
As if ethnic and sectarian strife were not enough to go with terrorism, we are now facing religious strife. One is under no illusion that this is not being deliberately…
Mischief is afoot
“Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!” — Shakespeare The ungainly and unnecessary controversies over arrangements for the general election and the arguments…
Lessons of ‘long march’
Dr. Tahirul Qadri’s long march to Islamabad is over and done. It shook the political spectrum — at least for the five days that it held the nation in thrall.…
Pluralism in Islam
While Islam stresses on the unity of humanity, it also recognizes human diversity and gives valuable principles to deal with ethnic, racial and religious differences in society. However, this pluralistic…
