Bloodshed
The failure of politics and backfiring of a military doctrine are the major drivers behind Quetta’s bloodshed. Violence does not take place in a vacuum. The bloodshed in Balochistan has…
A partial reckoning
Abdul Quader Mollah certainly did himself no favours when, earlier this month, he flashed a smile and a V-sign as he emerged from a hearing of the International Crimes Tribunal…
‘Twas brillig…
Indeed they did, and there was much gyreing and gimbleing on the part of any number of slithy toves at the Karachi Literature Festival, 2013. It was also distinctly brillig,…
The paterfamilias metaphor
The ‘paterfamilias’ metaphor for the chief justice because of his role in administrative issues has something about it. Every now and then it provokes its critics into angry tirades. Is…
The Supreme Court debate
The emergence of a powerful Supreme Court of Pakistan has given rise to a continuing critical debate about the Supreme Court’s functioning and its various judgments. Questions have arisen: is…
First-cousin marriages
Last year I wrote on the topic of thalassaemia, to which I received many positive reactions. Because of the importance of this disease and its relationship to first-cousin marriages, I…
Too many cooks
It has been too much of Kargil in the last few weeks, though I still have a column to wrap up about what has been an important revisit triggered by…
The shadow over Pakistan
The Soviet pullout from Afghanistan in 1989 was a triumph for our military establishment. The ISI and the Zia regime, while not solely responsible for that outcome, had helped bring…
Roots of mistrust
CAN militants reignite the insurgency in India-held Kashmir? This apprehension is a major hurdle in the trust-building process between India and Pakistan. Delhi is still fearful that the militants based…
The rupee rollercoaster
I first heard about it in the summer 2010, from Dr Ehtesham Ahmed, who had served as adviser to the executive director for Pakistan on the board of the IMF,…
