The doom boom
Ever hear of the end times belief known as the Rapture? In the version preferred by a large number of fundamentalist Christians in the US, this is when Jesus Christ…
The complex reality of the MQM
Altaf Hussain is crying. The ISPR is raging. The Rangers are raiding. And once again we are in the midst of a tamasha that seems to occur in Karachi every…
Tense border ties
The times — and with them, Pakistan’s borders — are tense. It has long been predicted that the drawdown of international troops and political transition in Afghanistan would lead to…
The people must get political
The last few years have been defined by events of monumental proportions, events that caused quite a stir around the world. From the Middle East to Africa to Latin America…
The sport of politics
Our international cricketer turned politician avoids appearing in the assembly hall, but loves to raise issues in public spaces, surrounded by admirers – of which TV networks only zoom on…
More people, less water mean rising food imports for Egypt
In the north-west corner of the Nile Delta, Ibrahim Sharaf Al-Dein fires up his diesel-powered pump next to a murky canal only to watch it spew out a yellowish froth.…
Eyes shut at home
PAKISTANIS like to think of themselves by nature as a compassionate people, with large hearts that bleed for the poor, oppressed and suffering all over the world. These days, private…
Come fix me a revolution
Storm clouds gather on the political horizon as I write this. With bated breath the nation awaits the political extravaganza promised by the government, the PTI and our own Mad…
Legal questions
The MQM faces four official investigations in the UK. Where do those enquiries stand now? The first, into incitement to violence, relies on a series of televised speeches in which…
Big consumer companies cut costs, Wall St wants bolder steps
Investors are growing impatient with the makers of global brands like Cadbury chocolate, Campbell Soup and Tide laundry detergent, as these stalwart consumer products companies try to boost profits through…
