A nation of many shadows
In London, a former dictator has promised us clean government and an end to other problems such as poverty. At his press conference -- where the retired general teetered between…
The lexicon of corruption
Of late, serious efforts are underway to introduce an innovative lexicon of corruption in the country that, with one stroke of dictatorial proclamation, wishes away all blemishes from the faces…
The army and the revolution
It is said that dictators look good until their last minutes. But Mubarak is an exception. He has not looked good for a while, not even to his mentors, the…
Parallel tracks to disaster
It has become an article of faith among pundits as well as civil society that Zia was entirely to blame for the rise of Islamic terrorism in Pakistan. The military…
Democracy and new expectations
There are two broad reasons why critics judge Zardari’s democratic government as a continuation of Musharraf’s dictatorial regime. The first structural evidence of this lies in the fact that while…
Two years of turmoil, more to follow
Almost two years after Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation sparked protests that toppled the Tunisian regime of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and prompted a chain reaction across large swathes of the Arab…
New great game
North Africa and Central Asia seem to share the same ills: dictatorships, widespread corruption, poverty, high youth unemployment, total media control and very limited political space for any opposition. No…
Islands of stability
There is ferment in the Muslim world as the people seek a more democratic dispensation. There is also a dangerous turbulence. Ostensibly, the turbulence flows from a revolt against dictators…
Democracy’s best revenge
AFTER the Oct 6 burlesque enacted in Pakistan last year in which a military dictator unconstitutionally proclaimed he re-elected we finally had on Sept 6 this year a real presidential…
A journey round democracy
What is good for Pakistan: monarchy, dictatorship or democracy? This question was posed to singer Hadiqa Kiani by movie star Shan in Geo’s morning show on Thursday. It figured in…
