The big bang
OUR politicians — whether in office or in the opposition or on the streets — have a bizarre mindset. They think of their personal and family’s concerns first rather than…
Sialkot speaks
IT was a small by-election by all standards and in normal times would have gone unnoticed. But these are not normal times and Sialkot has turned out to be anything…
Benazir & the bomb
OF all Pakistan’s accomplishments the most astonishing has been the construction of a nuclear bomb. Far richer countries have tried and failed to go nuclear. It could be argued that…
Shifting politics
IT is a measure of the volatility of Pakistani politics that the momentum can suddenly shift between rival political forces. Recent developments have helped to revive the political fortunes of…
The year of living anxiously
2020 was a devastating year for Pakistan as for the rest of the world. The year of the pandemic disrupted lives everywhere and tested people’s endurance and resilience. As elsewhere,…
Politics of accountability?
This week’s latest attack on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on another alleged corruption charge appears out of sync with Pakistan’s reality. The charge announced, based on remarks on YouTube…
Games some people play
Although electioneering season has not been officially or formally declared open, the political landscape increasingly resembles a period leading up to next year's scheduled general elections. Political rallies, engineered hastily…
The primary race
We are told by the corporate media know-it-alls that the contest to become the Democratic nominee for president is now a two-man race. Never mind that the know-it-alls have, in…
Imran ‘quietly confident’ he will be PM
Cricket legend Imran Khan said he was "quietly confident" of victory in a general election this month and that as prime minister, he would drive an anti-corruption and anti-poverty campaign…
Tweaking policies need of the hour
The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) is at pains to point out the unprecedented rise in unemployment and inflation during the nearly seventeen month tenure of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI)…
