History on the march and repeating itself
Nawaz Sharif at loggerheads with the army again, the old pattern of 1999 repeating itself. Cruel destiny…is Pakistan doomed to walk the paths it has trodden before? What is at…
Democracy on trial
What’s the best way to protect and strengthen Pakistan’s fragile democratic system? This perhaps remains the mother of all questions for many of the movers and shakers of Pakistani politics…
Viewpoint:Of dignity and pride
According to our commentariat and chattering classes, the Army is very, very angry because of their ex-chief General Pervez Musharraf being pushed around by 'bloody civilians'. CoAS General Raheel Sharif…
Fractured conservatism
Pakistan has become increasingly conservative in recent decades. Conservatives dominate Pakistani politics, and have forced liberal parties to become centrist. However, when political coalitions become too dominating, they often become…
The other Taliban
A couple of Western diplomats from Islamabad were in Delhi the other day to probe the prospects of improving India-Pakistan ties, and to find out what if anything the media…
Confronting violent extremists
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced the long-awaited national security policy yesterday, focusing on the operational aspects of governmental response to the threat of violent extremism. Much of what…
Tax mobilisation strategy
The Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed Chief Commissioners of Large Taxpayer Units (LTUs) and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) to take immediate steps to achieve downward revised revenue…
How I saw April 4 coming
September 13, 1977 remains an unforgettable date in our history. The reason: It was on this day that Lahore High Court’s Justice K M Samdani released former Prime Minister Zulfikar…
Omens of a maelstrom?
Three apparently unrelated developments point to a groundswell that could ultimately unhinge Pakistan from its democratic moorings. The three happenings are: the Taliban lobby’s campaign to frighten the government into…
Mysteries & narratives
Not all mysteries are destined to remain unsolved. Pakistan’s story contains many mysteries that we have perhaps given up searching for answers to, but at least one is about to…
