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Muzzling The Whistle-blowers

Muzzling the whistle-blowers

It is typical of the moral degeneracy of our political class that after the exposure of our tax-dodging parliamentarians by a public-spirited journalist, a concerted effort is now being made…

Gilgit-Baltistan In Limbo

Gilgit-Baltistan in limbo

Even after six decades, the people of GilgitBaltistan continue to suffer in constitutional limbo despite their unconditional accession to Pakistan. In spite of efforts to integrate with Pakistan, the people…

Pak-US Ties In 2012

Pak-US ties in 2012

A series of crises in 2011 set the tone for US-Pakistan interaction in 2012; these included Raymond Davis’ shooting of two Pakistanis and Bin Laden’s killing. However, it was the…

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…

Withering away of the state

Even before it could take root, the state has been withering away in Pakistan. Its existence, as an entity larger and more encompassing than a government – one of its…

In transit

As I write this on the terrace restaurant of a hotel in the hills in Sri Lanka, there’s a small river tumbling over huge boulders a few feet away. The…

Crime, Culture And Forensics

Crime, culture and forensics

We are all aware of the failings. Five years ago tomorrow will mark not simply the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto but also scenes that have become etched…

Wartime Politics

Wartime politics

On December 8, 1941, the United States officially entered World War II - and from that day onwards everything within the US changed. All internal political actors ended their peacetime…

A Diabolical Ideology

A diabolical ideology

Few other societies have faced the menace of religious extremism in a bloodier fashion than ours. Yet few other societies have seen such a sharp split on this critical issue than ours. What irony!