Pak-US ties — bravado is no substitute for diplomacy
Pakistan’s relationship with the United States has hit a new low. Judging by the mistrust and anger on both sides, it will take considerable…
Salmaan Taseer – on the right side of history
Today marks the seventh anniversary of the senseless, cold-blooded murder of Salmaan Taseer. His martyrdom was a price paid for defending a poor Christian…
2017: Instability, manufactured crises and surrender
The foregoing year was tumultuous to say the least. Pakistan’s ruling elites – elected and unelected – reinforced old patterns of governance. After ten…
The unbearable cost of advocating peace
Raza Mahmood Khan, a peace activist and a human rights’ defender from Lahore, is missing since December 2. No one knows where he is…
Nawaz’s sixer?
Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif’s recent statement on the clear succession plan has killed many birds with the same stone. Amid uncertainty…
Interview for My Muslim Friends
“In 2017, I visited Boston and My Muslim Friends interviewed me” I had been writing for nearly 10 years for the Friday Times and…
Students for Labor Action holds worker exploitation teach-in
December 13, 2017: Students for Labor Action holds worker exploitation teach-in Six speakers discussed experiences that they said made them feel exploited in the workforce both inside and outside of…
The relationship with US matters whether we like it or not
Despite the tough posturing by the United States and Pakistan, following the announcement of Trump’s South Asia strategy, both countries have resumed diplomatic engagement…
A Young Pakistani Physicist Who Loves Nuclear Reactors
Last week, I was in Dallas, Texas to speak on a panel regarding the elusive peace between India and Pakistan – two neighbors that…
Regime change — the final act?
It seems that the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) PMLN has entered the final round of its power struggle. With its party head…
Islamist protests are a tried and tested way to bring change in government in Pakistan
November 26, 2017: Islamist protests are a tried and tested way to bring change in government in Pakistan (The Print) Saturday was a day of…
Mixing politics with religion continues unabated
For nearly a fortnight, a motley group of clerics and their supporters have caused a blockade of Islamabad – the capital of a nuclear…
Pakistan’s democratic transition is derailed. Does anyone care?
Pakistan’s decade-old democratic transition is going nowhere. Ten years after the military president Gen Musharraf removed his uniform and paved the way for national…
Don’t turn CPEC into another holy cow. Transparency is a must
On the positive side, the CPEC will certainly lead to a shift in Pakistan’s reliance on Islamist proxies in the region There is no…
Raza Rumi Whether one agrees with her not she was a thoughtful woman Baano Apa ❤ R I P
Sharing an old video of Baano Apa. Golden words of Bano Qudsia . She was indeed a thoughtful woman. Rest in peace aapa!…
Civil-military tensions continue even after Nawaz’s ouster
The tense relations between the civilian government and the khakis indicate that despite Nawaz Sharif’s exit, the latter has not yet lost the political…
Mainstreaming militants? Not without a political strategy
The powers-that-be are all set to undertake a new experiment — mainstreaming of militants into national politics. This is yet another rushed plan that…
Beijing has signaled. Is Islamabad listening?
Though China has repeatedly blocked Indian moves to sanction JeM and its leadership, it has given a clear signal to Islamabad through BRICS declaration…
Our selective solidarity with the Ummah
The brutal treatment of the Rohingya community by Myanmar has attracted international indignation. Thousands have fled Myanmar and have been entering neighbouring Bangladesh. Aung…
Facilitating peace process in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s national interest
During his election campaign, President Trump had vowed to end the foreign wars and redirect the resources towards domestic needs such as infrastructure development.…