Columns

The recent Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat rally in Lahore boasted a gathering of around 40,000. The participation was all male, mostly bearded and wore a variety of sect-specific head gears. Apart from anger over the blasphemy issue, the speakers also seemed disgusted with the onslaught of western influences.
Although this outpouring was impressive in its numeric strength, by and large, it was from the more conservative segment of our society. Mainstream Pakistan, let's call it

Disclaimer: The Op-ed editor warned me not to trivialise this issue. So I decided to skip the issue and concentrate on the non-issue. This entire article is a work of fiction, and any attempt by Monsieur Obama's cronies to construe it as a factual account should be resisted by the Foreign Office for at least a few weeks. In case the Americans do decide to invade and extradite me for revealing their state secrets, I will be forced to seek training from the Venezuelans in the art of

For better or worse, the amplification accorded to a voice is seldom commensurate with the rationality of the views it espouses. This fact has never been truer than in the present times; an age of powerful media linked with powerful interests. With limited air time and printing space available, the voices that do receive attention end up carrying a certain significant weight.
During the past week a number of voices attacked my ears but a few stood out in particular- the

Their greed may have swelled the health of their wealth but it will be some time before Pakistan is able to live down the shame. No country - especially cricket-mad like ours - should have to endure such ignominy. It is all very well to suggest the guilt of Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir is in the realm of an individual act and technically, it is not Pakistan's image, which is sullied by their actions.
However, such cold comfort overlooks the small matter of their

A recent report in the newspaper related that a member of the Punjab Assembly had violated the law by breaking traffic rules. When he was stopped by the traffic warden to point out his offence, he became furious and told the warden to ignore his offence since he was an MPA. In another reported incident, when the warden stopped a car which had tinted glasses, instead of being paid heed to, the warden was warned to care of his job. This car belonged to a general of the army. There is a

In consequence of our current socio-economic predicament, there's been a renewed interest in bringing policy debate back to the forefront of public discourse. Calls are made to bring clarity and vision in our reform agenda. To take steps to tighten our belts and our purse strings. To cut excess fat, rationalise the state, and sacrifice short-term gain for long-term growth. There's a somewhat growing cacophony of dissent in the capital city, highlighting alarm and concern, whilst

This is yet another Gandhian moment in world history, with implications nearly as momentous as the collapse of the British Raj at the Gateway of India. Egypt has rediscovered itself through the alchemy of non-violence, once dismissed as limp romanticism in the muscular age of colonial empires. Non-violence detached the mightiest empire ever known from its central mooring, India, initiating a process that liberated Afro-Asia from European colonisation in the 20th century.
The

You have to laugh at our Prime Minister, or else you weep. Few people can turn the demon of corruption so completely on its head so as to present it as an angel; one has to be either very shrewd or a complete twerp to do this, and since I refuse to accuse Mr. Gilani of being shrewd, I am not left with much choice. Or should I address my comments to whoever writes the Prime Minister's speeches for him? I mean he obviously doesn't himself...he can barely read them, the dear man.
The

REGIONAL PRESS - Once again reports are circulating that the incumbent regime will end in a day or two. This is not the first time that the rumour mills in Pakistan have churned out such stories and reports like these have been surfacing from time to time. In response to such fears, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has categorically stated that his government was elected by the people's vote and will complete its term.
Other senior government officials have also underscored

I am most concerned that Muslim 'clerics' amongst the mullahs camouflaged as scholars are putting Muslims into reverse gear. Sure there are good mullahs. I know at least one. But the good mullahs' voice is drowned in the din of the collective voice of the intolerance of the obscurant.
Should I depend on the din of the obscurant or the example of my beloved Prophet (pbuh)? He was the best interpreter of the Word of God. His life epitomised the objectives of God in the Quran, His

In a brainstorming session organised by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development (PILDAT) the other day, participants were asked to suggest the way forward in the light of the multifarious challenges of governance being faced by the country. In the words of its executive director: endemic corruption, weakening writ of the state, growing economic crisis and deteriorating law and order posed a real danger to democracy.
The participants, which included a former governor, a

It has to be said for the CM, Punjab that sickness does not get in the way of his work. We hear that this workaholic has had health issues and some that should have kept him on bed rest. But contrary to health manual dos and don'ts, he opts to go on the beat. Rumour has it that his above-the-call-of-duty activities have sometimes landed him in serious health problems. There have been times when the CM has carried out a surprise inspection, a condolence call, or even a motivation cum

The winds of change blowing across the Asian continent are laden with the pain of those millions who have suffered incessantly through decades at the hands of the US-sponsored autocracies and monarchies. It is strange though that whenever a knock is heard heralding deliverance from the chains of oppression and its diverse and humiliating manifestations, the traditional forces of exploitation re-appear, deceptively clad in attires signifying 'freedom'. Be it individuals, ala ElBaradei,

It is irrelevant whether Mubarak leaves office this week or the next week, what matters is that he has already tuned into another Ozymandias. The mass movement aimed at delivering a coup de grace continues to gain momentum. Mubarak's plans to get himself re-elected for a new term in September and then induct his son into the administration have turned into ashes.
The movement has not only united the Egyptian masses against the arbitrary rule but has also electrified the Arab

The Raymond Davis case, or shall we say the Who-is-Davis case, is getting murkier. Rehman Malik has told the Senate that Davis is an accredited diplomat and he has Davis' entire file which shall be produced in the court. Right! Davis is a diplomat except his name is not Raymond Davis! So, what kind of file does Malik have on the guy who shot two boys, even if in self-defence, and whose name is not Davis but who is a diplomat?
ABC News, reporting on January 28, said Davis' record

'Revolution!' scream the headlines. Many a quizzical eye is now firmly fixed on the Middle East. There is growing speculation that the Arabs have turned a page and are finally waking from their slumber. Many observers draw a parallel between escalating, unprecedented protests against Arab dictatorships and the uprisings that marked the
demise of the Communism in 1989. However, hopes for a revolutionary tide sweeping the Arab world seem to be misplaced.
While the timeframe

What a start to 2011! Everywhere a surfeit of revolutionary energy prevails. A mixture course; some good, some bad. The world is feeling the turbulence and minds are aghast. Decades of leadership thrown to the winds or about to be. Yes the people are rampant and regimes are under fire. Is this the 21st century speaking?
It is spreading like an epidemic; "the domino effect" as a friend tweeted. And as embroiled in fantasy as leaders get, their initial reaction is one of