Illusions of peace
A brave woman by the name of Rehana Haleem, the sister of one of the men involved in the shooting of Malala Yousafzai, spoke up during a CNN interview last…
Viewpoint: Nomination Forms
Just days before the end of its term, the Zardari government locked horns with the Election Commission of Pakistan over amendments to nomination forms. The PML-N too has been expressing…
The ECP under fire
The ECP is under fire from all sides. Parliamentarians are angry because their matriculation and graduation degrees are being challenged by the ECP with a view to disqualifying them from…
Enemies within
The single most important factor that determines the fate of a nation and its state of socio-economic development is education. It is the scientists and engineers that are changing the…
The new normal
It may well be grotesque, but the face of the next generation of Pakistanis is going to make for an interesting study. As evidenced by the lack of concrete measures…
Inequality in society
With elections approaching, the usual claims from incumbent political parties of being pro-poor and even ‘revolutionary’ have increased in both frequency and amplitude. Notwithstanding their magnificent promises of ending corruption,…
Nobody supports the Taliban but…
The picturesque Swat valley is still under the army’s control. Although businessmen are confident as the property market is stable, people are generally worried. They simply want an end to…
Some Kabul themes
Apart from the negotiations with the Taliban and the US troops’ withdrawal plans, much of what is happening in Afghanistan, especially the impact of the state’s reconstruction on society, should…
Defining imperialism
Is there a Saudi imperialism? No, there is not. Still, the term ‘Saudi imperialism’ is fast creeping into left-liberal narratives. Drawing our attention to ‘Saudi imperialism’, such narratives refer to…
For real development
The much trumpeted Pakistani version of Sesame Street, a $20 million dollar USAID-funded educational project called ‘Sim Sim Hamara’, came to a crashing halt recently. Starting in December last year,…
