The imperilled media
IN military terminology, a ‘scorched-earth’ policy means the destruction, the burning down of anything that an invading force can put to use — from standing crops to infrastructure such as…
Regulating social media
The arrival of the internet is, no doubt, the most defining moment in our history. Social media tools, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and WhatsApp, have become powerful instruments to play…
The media and the plan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, addressing the CPNE meeting in Lahore the other day, emphasised the need for the media to act in a responsible manner and stand united on national…
Who should provide social services?
IT is remarkable that the governments of Pakistan and India have not been able to ensure essential social services for their citizens public health and education are in shambles. As…
Measuring the media
When Bushra Gohar, one of the bright stars of the National Assembly, entered politics as a member of the Awami National Party, she did not know that “I am an…
The AI debate
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly considered as the most transformative human invention. According to Kai-Fu Lee, a Taiwanese AI expert and author of ‘AI Superpowers’, AI rivals the impact of…
Gloomy prognosis
WHEN I first started working as a journalist, my senior colleagues and field-hardened editors introduced me to the concept of the release valve. I was often surprised that we were…
Time to correct mistakes
IN the soap opera that is Pakistani politics, the year 2022 should be the climax. Limits were pushed, the Constitution was under threat, rights were violated to the core, propaganda…
Digital gender gap
PAKISTAN’S human rights battles are now playing out across its digital landscape. The X ban drags on, fantasies of data localisation persist, and talk of further social media regulation is…
Patriarchal elitism
THERE seems to be an unwarranted moral panic induced by the highest leadership in Pakistan, be it about harassment or rape, how women dress, and even social media regulation. The…
