Technocratic turncoats
Turncoat or ‘lota’ is a familiar word for the people of Pakistan. It is a pejorative commonly used for our politicians who change parties frequently at the altar of ‘national…
Checks on immigration
Immigration has been a highly emotive issue in British politics since Enoch Powell made his famous 1968 “rivers of blood” speech which sketched a picture of Britain inundated with immigrants.…
Packed and gone
There is an old saying ‘bus ho chuki namaz, musalla uthaiye’. It is used to convey to the concerned person that there is nothing left to talk about and they…
The long shadow of Afzal Guru
When Afzal Guru was hanged secretly last month in Tihar Jail, Indian officials claimed that it was a simple case of the law taking its course and that politics had…
Musharraf’s mirage
The Pakistan, general is back, and this time not on horseback. Since he has offered to take us back to the Pakistan that he left behind, perhaps it’s a good…
All in the family
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was 19 when he was named the chairperson of Pakistan’s largest political party.Bilawal’s natural political progression — not uncommon for a scion from a political dynasty —…
HEC: points and counterpoints
The provinces are responsible for higher education after the 18th Amendment: Not true. The 18th Amendment strengthens the role of the HEC as a federal entity by including standards of…
Time to reveal the truth
For the last six years I have struggled in vain to understand the logic of our policymakers and their spokespersons when it comes to dealing with extremism and terrorism. I…
The office of denial
There is a difference between a good and a bad finance minister: the former keeps his nation informed about the true state of the economy and prepares public opinion for…
Russia`s rise
Obsessed as it is by `the rise of China`, the United States has been rather indifferent to the steady deterioration of its relations with Russia. Come to think of it,…
