Revolution: Islamabad style
Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital for half a century, was conceived as a peaceful retreat, away from the heat and dust of this country and the humdrum of its people. For a…
The dharna scorecard
Independence Day saw two hostile anti-government forces descending on the capital in the shape of the Azadi March and the Revolution March. After spending about 70 days Dr Qadri wrapped…
First person singular
When it is all over, as it must, what will remain of the Azadi and the Revolution marches? Will we have a ‘naya’ Pakistan, baptised by a social revolution? What…
No winner in the game
The elephant is already in the room and surely by invitation this time. A panic-stricken civilian administration has handed over the security of the nation’s capital to the army at…
The reign of Gullu Butts
The Model Town operation that claimed 10 precious lives and its aftermath highlight much of what is wrong with today’s Pakistan. The legitimacy of state authority is already in tatters.…
Apathy vs passion
In numerous drawing-room conversations, there must have been considerable discussions on why the people do not come out on the streets to protest against the increasingly unbearable cost of living…
Straws in the Syrian whirlwind
THE pendulum of zealotry almost always ushers in intellectual subterfuge in its wake. The lightning, if not spontaneous, takeover of Damascus by mediaeval militias is being predictably applauded by Western journalists as…
Fixing taxation
AN essential component of any progressing economy is the taxation system. However, Pakistan’s tax regime is grappling with issues often faced by developing economies: low compliance, inefficiencies, and a narrow…
PTI’s reality check
While an anxious nation was watching developments taking place in Islamabad on Tuesday, something significant happened in Karachi. The venue was the Pakistan Stock Exchange where the KSE-100 index suffered…
Defeating fascism
Pakistan’s politics remains a vicious circle degrading with each rotation. The 2014 horror movie was re-run this week. Fascist hordes descended once again upon D-Chowk in a paralysed Islamabad amidst…
