Manmohan Singh, Kashmir and lame ducks
My first reaction to the news of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh planning a visit to Pakistan in March 2014 was one of relief. Those that follow the efforts for…
Dignity, not charity
ONE problem with our poverty alleviation strategies is that they benefit the givers more than the recipients. Yet another problem is that they generally involve doling out in public view…
Sorrows of Sindh
In the fractured mirror that is Pakistan, each large fragment projects a scary image of disorder. In this flaming montage, Sindh sometimes stands out and diverts our attention from other,…
Rule of law
IN developing societies, the rule of law is often slaughtered at the altar of discretion and personal whims. However, governance, peace, investment and development are interlinked with the extent of…
A narrow vision
THE recent announcement of the internal security policy is an important development. It is perhaps for the first time that a political government has announced its vision of Pakistan’s security.…
Noise sense
Lately there was much amusement when a local English daily printed a story on strained relations between Gulf states. It was standard fare, dwelling on the KSA-Qatar rift that every…
Prestige and poverty
While there is no harm in having the mindset of a 16th century Moghul emperor in a personal capacity even in today’s world, the spending priorities of a democratically-elected government…
From an old playbook
The current crisis in Ukraine was triggered last November when Yanukovych, the then president, turned down an association agreement offered by the EU that included a free-trade deal. The decision,…
In the land of big smiles
To be greeted with folded hands is hardly unusual for people like me, born and bred in India, the land of namaste. But the Thai greeting is vastly different from…
Russia against Napoleon
Napoleon was defeated not just by the Russian winter. More crucial in the scales was the toughness of the Russian soldier. At the Battle of Borodino on the road to…
