Empire of chaos
For someone intellectually predisposed to viewing just about everything through the lens of class, learning how to navigate the choppy waters of Pakistan’s political economy is nothing less than an…
Terror and the economy
Terror is stalking the land. Nothing can be more symbolic of this than the Marriott bombing of Sept 20. In the first flush some have compared it to 9/11, maybe…
A year after BP disaster
At first sight, everything looks back to normal on the Gulf of Mexico a year after the worst oil disaster in US history. But fear and uncertainty persist. Gone are…
A tall order
As we ring in the new year and waive off the last one, pain, anguish and disappointment top 2012’s chart. The year was dotted with death and destruction. No part…
War behind tall barriers
While the attention of the media and most Pakistanis remains firmly focused on the war pitching the Taliban and affiliated groups against state forces, another dangerous civil war being fought…
Is Baitullah really dead?
US drone attacks are not popular in Pakistan but it is the first time that a big number of Pakistanis are happy over a news report that the head of…
No room for over-optimism
For the third consecutive year, the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India will be holding their “review” ritual, this time in Islamabad later this week. After the last two meetings,…
Xmas and the city
Only a Russian deputy foreign minister could insult with such diplomatic finesse, and leave no bruises. `You send delegations from Pakistan every few months to us. From your National Defence…
Imran Khan in Balochistan
Addressing his first public gathering in Quetta in April, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan condemned the security operation in the province and vowed to find a political solution to…
Mullah Nazir’s death will change nothing
The death of Mullah Nazir during a drone attack on his vehicle near the Afghan border has come as no surprise to many people, including those from South Waziristan. There…
