Power of the pulpit
The power of the minbar (pulpit) in Muslim societies such as ours is considerable. For whatever flows from this source is heard with rapt attention and largely accepted as true…
New leaders, old problems
The world is watching closely as China`s 12th National People`s Congress prepares to confirm the appointment of Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang as the country`s president and premier respectively. China`s…
Nothing that a miracle can’t cure
Ask yourselves which of our problems we have solved since Independence. Do millions not continue to live in prehistoric squalor? Don’t hunger and disease still haunt the poor? Have not…
Literacy and skills
A Very large number of Pakistanis are illiterate and unskilled. If literate they are barely so, and if skilled, most have poor skills. Given the demographics of a young nation,…
Life and literature
FOR five days in the month that ends today a fairly large number of Pakistanis had the opportunity of looking at themselves through the glasses of quite a few worthy…
Politics of expediency
The deliberate hash of local government to reflect the diverse demographics of the ruling coalition, the PPP in the rural areas and the MQM in the urban areas of Sindh,…
Our founders and guardians
A fellow-columnist has asked why “if we had to go through this (the mess that Pakistan has become today) did we go through the trouble of Partition?” (February 22). Let’s…
Gender-sensitive policing
Worldwide perceptions regarding women’s participation in law enforcement are changing, but in Pakistan policing is still a male-dominated career. In Pakistan, the origin of women policing can be traced to…
Limits of strategy
The government can influence the growth rate primarily by providing an adequate physical and social infrastructure and creating the policy and institutional environment for privatesector investment. The reasons for the…
Culture, ethics & architecture
Building and construction have been significant activities in human civilisation. The journey from caves to building gigantic cities reflects the enormous interest and capacity of human beings in these areas.…
