Columns

A good number of people in Pakistan get upset when Pakistan's internal societal formations and politico-economic dynamics are criticised by Western analysts, think-tanks and officials. Recently, an American magazine, Foreign Policy, sought the opinion of experts on the state of terrorism in the world. Their overwhelming majority described Pakistan as "the country that posed the greatest threat to the West today."
The typical Pakistani response to such comments is that the

Under pressure from other members of its fragile coalition and the opposition, the government has been forced to back track, at least temporarily, on the recent increase in fuel prices. Following on the heels of this retraction was a reconciliation between Prime Minister Gilani and the MQM. Despite claims that the PPP's position is now 'more balanced', there is no doubt that the government is in dire straits, even if it has managed to ward off the problem of losing its majority in the

I'm probably not going to the second Karachi Literature Festival, opening in February. I was there last year. I'm not going to the sixth Jaipur Literature Festival, opening later this month. I was there last year. I'm not sorry.
No, don't misunderstand me. In the 2010 literature festival in Jaipur, I had a grand time, somewhat. The five days were intense. I got to meet singers, actors, ambassadors, college students, tourists, hippies, aspiring writers, book lovers, socialites,

It is indeed a defining moment for the state of Pakistan after the tragic murder of Salmaan Taseer. Some shocking reactions, celebrations and edicts were pronounced by sections of religious leaders and lawyers. I need to emphasise an irrefutable fact that it is always the establishment, oligarchy and political leaders of any country who set the values, ideologies and behavior of the people. The mess that we are in now, is solely due to the most imprudent and ill-conceived policies

Salmaan Taseer will forever remain a hero of mine for the bravery he showed. But those who wish to change the blasphemy law need to adopt a different course of action.
"The Ornament of the World" is a wonderful book written some years ago by Maria Menocal, a professor at Yale University. The title of the book refers to 13th century Cordoba - a city which in those dark ages had libraries with hundreds of thousands of books, more than in all of England, a city in which Muslims,

The horrific and brutal murder of the charismatic Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer has plunged the nation into a state of shock and grief.
Fearless and outspoken, he won people over with his generosity of spirit, courage, sardonic humour and unique flair and style.
As Governor of the Punjab, the multifaceted Taseer patronised Pakistani art, music and culture which flourished during his tenure. Not isolated or blinded by success and power, he engaged with people in open debate,

If they didn't make such tall claims about abstract and useless ideals such as 'objectivity' and 'accuracy', our news channels would really be able to make a difference in society. I mean no disrespect to all the hardworking 'blood-sweat-and-tears' journalists who toil away in anonymity, working to get you information that could affect your life. But it's these armchair-types - the ones that host the night-time chat shows and write pointless opinion pieces such as this one - who make

I normally write of issues with some lightness, but my heart is heavy following the death of Salmaan Taseer, and it is not just I who feel this way. The atmosphere in Pakistan following the assassination of the Governor of Punjab on the 4th of January is different to that that followed previous political assassinations. Despondency this time is more pervasive, almost to the point of saturation. There is a sense of being at the end of the road, any fork in which appears out of sight,

What do Miley Cyrus and Mumtaz Hussain Qadri have in common? Well, nothing really - except for the fact that there's one particular fellow from Faisalabad who chooses to exhibit his approval for both on Facebook. The man in question works for a software house, was educated at a public university, and apart from Miley Cyrus, enjoys Johnny Depp's performance in Pirates of the Caribbean as well as the closer-to-home charm of Katrina Kaif's jawani. At the same time he chooses to display

I remember the old days when there was only one TV channel which telecast not only news but dramas, films, documentaries, musical shows and literary programmes. In the beginning, the arrival of private channels was exciting. We all hoped that there would be competition and we could watch a variety of programmes. These hopes were soon dashed to ground. These channels offer something new what is now popularly known as the 'talk show'.
Every TV channel is faithfully following the

Not once upon a time but here and now this relates to a land that you and I know well. A land created for the Muslim minority of the subcontinent where freedom's jugular is slit by knives that you and I helped sharpen. It is a land that would not have been possible or even thinkable in a society which did not allow for freedom of speech.
This land, Pakistan, was what most things inspiring hope are: an ideal and more importantly an argument. Today, we are losing our soul and the

Yours truly had pleaded in this very space just a fortnight ago to let Salmaan Taseer, one of the few colourful characters left in Pakistan's rather opaque midst, be. The context then was the theatre of the absurd surrounding his controversial "disappearance" without allegedly informing the provincial government about which his political nemeses and a major media group made such a song and dance.
The issue was blown out of proportion and merely used to score Brownie points, and

The other day I heard a debate between Tony Blair and the author Christopher Hitchens on the BBC on whether religion had done more harm than good. Blair is an ardent Catholic, Hitchens an atheist. Blair doesn't have much of a formal education; I presume Hitchens does. Both, however, are intelligent and experienced. I know people with fantastic degrees who are uneducated idiots and I know people who cannot read or write but who have great wisdom. As I once said, wisdom doesn't wear a

Qadri the man who brutally killed the Punjab Governor, Salmaan Taseer in his own possessed demeanor had interpreted the law to kill the man he was supposed to protect. Some others garlanded him when he was produced later at a court for remand. A handful of lawyers were jumping over each other to help him fight the case free of charge. There have been reports of many people congratulating Qadri and calling him a hero in as many words. His home is full of sweets and gifts from neighbors

It was simply outrageous. The gruesome murder of Governor Salmaan Taseer has traumatised the nation already shaken by terrorism which has claimed thousands of innocent lives over the past decade. The slain Governor, brutally assassinated by his own bodyguard the other day, was regarded as a liberal voice publicly espousing his views against the excessive abuse of the Blasphemy Laws since they were incorporated into the Constitution by Zia. No Muslim can think of being disrespectful to

Susan Goldmark's mother, Helma Bl

Salmaan Taseer's ghastly murder by the guard assigned to him by the administration of the province he headed as its governor has raised a number of important questions. A chill must have passed though the spines of the vast array of VVIP s and lesser real or self-styled VIPs who take pride in the state appointed posse they prefer to move with, even though they aren't necessarily under threat.
Shahbaz Sharif created the Elite Force, during his last stint as chief minister of