Masters of war
THE headlines from the Nato summit that concluded a week ago in the Lithuanian capital mainly reflected the prospect of Swedish membership and, more dramatically, the failure to invite Ukraine…
The precarious lives of politicians
FORMER prime minister Imran Khan was shot in the leg during an assassination attempt last week while participating in the long march. He survived. But Pakistani politicians seldom survive assassination attempts, which…
Nawaz Sharif’s comeback
THE one thing demonstrated by Nawaz Sharif’s return from self-exile is that political leaders can never be written off in Pakistan’s roller-coaster politics. The country’s political history is punctuated by…
‘Noli me tangere’
THE term ‘untouchable’ has a different connotation in each culture and religion. To Christians, the words noli me tangere are attributed to Jesus Christ who, after his resurrection, deterred his…
Leadership matters
RECEP Tayyip Erdogan has won a third presidential term. His dominance of the Turkish political scene for over two decades has been marked both by enviable successes and trying challenges.…
Killing democracy
THE US has never officially been willing to concede that recent history encompasses not one but two 9/11s. There’s the one 22 years ago that everyone is supposed to remember,…
Another court
ARE constitutional courts an idea whose time has come in Pakistan? The proposal to constitute one was seriously presented in the Charter of Democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz…
Lessons from past crises
PAKISTAN’S political crisis is deepening with every passing day. The fact that the Punjab Assembly election that was scheduled for April 30 has been delayed to Oct 8 by the…
Throwing the book
THERE may come a time when Donald Trump proclaims himself to be the saviour of the American publishing industry. After all, never before have the first four years of any…
Unceasing political vendetta
WE have a history of political feuds and vendetta that run through generations. It may be difficult to pinpoint the origins of the politics of vendetta but the misuse of…
