Taking a chance with democracy
A British prime minister once said he “hated elections” and compared them to “medicine which you’ve got to have”. But for us fair elections are no bitter medicine. In fact,…
The grand opposition
Are we done congratulating ourselves over a democratically elected government having completed its term despite doomsday predictions all along? Let’s acknowledge that the continuity-of-democratic-process-as-solution-to-all-problems argument is already pushing its luck…
Cyprus bailout request another hurdle for eurozone
With empty state coffers, ailing banks and badly in need of a multi-billion-euro loan, the small island of Cyprus is like a drifting ship quickly running out of fuel. When…
The next five years
Judging by the number of Western media and analytical queries I have received over the past two weeks, there seems to be a growing interest in Western capitals in the…
More of the same
Last year, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf declared 2013 as the year of the rights of the child in Pakistan. Unfortunately, the PPP-led government couldn’t take any tangible steps…
What are the caretakers up to?
The caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso received briefings from different ministries/departments and took more than a week to identify fifteen individuals as his cabinet members. One of the…
Excellent institutions
few days ago my dear friend, Hanif Abbasi, invited me to attend the annual prize distribution ceremony at the Government Postgraduate Viqar-un-Nisa College for Women (VNC) in Rawalpindi as chief…
The PLO’s dangerous rhetoric
Hailed as one of the best spokespersons for Palestine, veteran diplomat Afif Safieh impressed many during his four-city tour in Canada, earlier this year. Safieh – the author of The…
The rise of India
Can India become a great power? This question is taken up by the weekly Economist in its March 27 edition. New Delhi, as the weekly sees it, has the potential…
America`s new strategy
After a decade dedicated to the `war on terror` and two long and costly land wars, the US has already shifted strategic gears. It has left Iraq, mission largely unaccomplished;…
