Age of caretaking
THE parliament elected in 2018 has come to an end, but despite not lasting longer than its predecessors, it seemed to stretch on. The caretaker prime minister is in place, a…
Retirement of a patriarch
GEN Qamar Bajwa was rather busy during his six-year tenure and didn’t get much time to air his views. After all, army chiefs do not give interviews or interact with…
A little empathy, please
PAKISTAN has witnessed many periods of polarisation within society, especially during long spells of military rule and its aftermath, but the current divide seems so pronounced and bitter that even…
Ten years of CPEC
With the completion of 10 years of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan has reached a major milestone. The July 30 visit of China’s deputy prime minister coincided with this…
Avec moi, le déluge
PAKISTAN is a country led by political lemmings. Driven by some primeval instinct to commit suicide, periodically they rush towards the precipice where common sense ends, and then hurl themselves…
Floods and photo ops
WITH monster floods and a third of Pakistan submerged, world figures have expressed sorrow and promised some aid. While actual needs are huge, this at least shows empathy with victims.…
Unpacking the youth bulge
FOR this week, let me confess at the beginning that I have nothing to offer on the mess that is Punjab, the courts and the bayanias, or narratives, our parties…
Varsity teachers up in arms about proposed budget cuts
As the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) demanded funding for education to at least 4-5 per cent of the GDP, it expressed concerns about a letter…
Immunity in Narnia
In the saga of legal escapades, President Asif Ali Zardari pulls off a spectacular move, invoking Article 248 of the constitution. This provision suspends ongoing legal proceedings against him, kicking…
Modi’s astrology
Although Narendra Modi is in a good position to become the prime minister of India for the third time, astrologists are of the view that the results of the ongoing…
