Winds of change
Much is being written and said about Dr Tahirul Qadri – his background and his motivations. Some claim that he is an agent of foreign countries with the objective of…
Crying for the light
On Thursday, Pakistan died a little in Quetta. At least this is what it seems when you think about the tragedy and feel some empathy for the Shia Hazara community…
In a blind alley
The state of Pakistan has been pushed into a blind alley and it is at the same time under attack from hardliners of more than one brand. Nobody knows what…
Revolution: Islamabad style
Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital for half a century, was conceived as a peaceful retreat, away from the heat and dust of this country and the humdrum of its people. For a…
The curse of silence
We are watching a genocide take place before our eyes; Shias are being killed mercilessly. The Hazara community in Quetta has been decimated. The Hazara Shias – numbering some 700,000…
The fulminations of Tahirul Qadri
The politicians of Pakistan are incapable of saying anything without indulging in coloured phrases of rhetorical exaggeration. The pathetic grandiloquence of their speeches is invariably laced with barbs against their…
A problem of perception
It was the worst massacre in Quetta in over a decade and even in such a city, stalked by death and haunted by terror, it marks a new standard. This…
Karzai in Washington
As I write this on Tuesday morning the drama of the ‘long march’ of the Tehrik Minhaj-ul-Quran dominates the air waves. Whatever its outcome we must recognise that it reflects…
Wish all you want
The two indigenous long marches of the past rekindle totally different memories. So, will the third have its distinguishing features? Do you care if it does? Who knows? Even as…
Deferred implosion?
The massacre of Hazaras has bored through the shock absorbers that we refer to as either resilience or apathy. Too late as usual. This year marks a full decade since…
