Directionless: trapped in a vicious cycle

The image below is that of a painting by the amazing Pakistani artist Saira Wasim and it relates to the theme of my piece…

Challenges for the PML-N

In early June, the PML-N completed one year in office and presented its second budget before the Parliament. Both these events were overshadowed by…

Farzana Parveen and the death of the state

Farzana’s brutal murder represents all that is wrong with us. It has become a useless routine to condemn the most ghastly acts of violence…

Pakistan is not afraid of Modi’s win

Finally, the verdict is out. The Indian electorate has given a clear message by electing Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) precisely in…
Imran Khan and Tahir ul Qadri

The politics of Imran Khan and Dr Tahir ul Qadri

Pakistan’s electoral system is far from perfect. Like most other state functions, electoral laws and practices need to be reformed. In a democracy, this…

Moving ahead after the attack

It has been a month since I survived a lethal attack aimed to silence me forever. The support of my family, friends and colleagues…

Pakistani journalists under threat

For Express Tribune That a detailed Amnesty International report on threats to media in Pakistan is all doom and gloom about the safety of…

Escaping death in the Land of the Pure

Finally, I countenanced what I had been dreading for quite some time. Journalists and media houses being under threat is a well-known story in…

Policy paralysis haunts our security

By Raza Rumi Pakistan’s government has appointed a new committee to conduct ‘peace talks’ with the Taliban. The old committee, with journalists acting as…

Saudi bailout & jihad as a foreign policy tool

Pakistan’s finance minister has proudly announced that a friendly country has deposited $1.5 billion in our reserves and more is likely to follow. The…

Analysis: Attackers punch hole in Islamabad security

ISLAMABAD: Today’s suicide bombing at the Islamabad courts complex suggests that the capital and its sensitive installations are vulnerable. The premeditated murder of a…

Looking back at General Kayani’s Tenure

Raza Rumi General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani retired after leading Pakistan’s most powerful institution for six years. As a close confidante and successor of former…

Recognising the shift in Pakistan’s India policy

An Editorial for the Express Tribune The silver lining of the current Pakistan-India stand-off is that Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif remains committed…

The Balochistan conundrum

Here is an Editorial for the Express Tribune Pakistan’s largest province, Balochistan, continues to bleed. Decades of neglect and exclusion have created a sense…

Delhi by heart: Writing “Home”

A review of my book, Delhi by heart, in the Express Tribune In candid tones, journalist and analyst Raza Rumi explores an Indian city,…

Egypt back to square one

Here is an Editorial for the Express Tribune The Arab Spring unleashed in 2011 seems to be continuing. The removal of Egyptian president Mohamed…

Revival of local government

Here is an Editorial for The Express Tribune On paper, the decision of the Sindh government to formally revive the local government system, based…

Afghan Refugees and Pakistan

Latest for Express Tribune Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees since the 1980s when the resistance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan resulted…

Attacks on the state

Latest for the Express Tribune In the last few days, Pakistan and its newly elected government have been rocked by a wave of terrorist…

India and the Af-Pak question

Latest for Express Tribune Recently, US Secretary of State John Kerry elaborated on the need for India to take on a proactive role in…