Two poems from the work of Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) was a prominent revolutionary Indo-Pakistani poet. In a brief career with the British Indian Army he was promoted to the…
Pakistan: Will the Court punish officials who violated their oath?
“We cannot have an army or intelligence agencies that constantly destabilise governments. We cannot have rogue elements incessantly violating their oath and plunging the…
‘On the wings of time, grief flies away’
Salma Mahmud’s new book is not a just a readable memoir, it sets a standard for fine writing. Perhaps the most memorable time of…
“A rights-respecting federation can only be created through negotiation” – an interview on Balochistan
Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan Director, Human Rights Watch, was one of the few people who recently gave testimony to US Congress on the issue…
It is time to engage with the Baloch nationalists
There seems to be a serious dearth of imagination while searching for solutions on Balochistan As Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy recently wrote, “Men like Rohrabacher…
Final round of survival? It’s do or die
Tehelka story last week: Government in final round of survival game: It’s do or die Either the government will withstand the pressure from the…
Magic moments – incredible photos on mysticism
Today, a magical photographer and a brave journalist Iason Athanasiadis, wrote to me after reading some of my comments in NYT. This is such…
Hundreds of decaying historical buildings across Lahore await Attention
Third story for the Herald’s annual heritage issue: Once renowned as a city of gardens and monuments, Lahore now manifests decaying cultural heritage, rampant…
Consensus is vital for democracy
Any morality-led reinterpretation of the supreme law will open doors for future misuse The federal government seems to have escaped many a crisis in…
Mughal era: Lahore’s neglected heritage is a sad shadow of its glorious past
The second story from Herald’s annual supplement on heritage As the second Mughal capital, Lahore was home to emperors and noblemen during the 16th…
2011- A year that will haunt us
From Paper Magazine 2011- a year in review A journalist recently remarked that 2011 was the year that no one will remember. Alas, this…
‘Greater rights abuses will ensue unless Pakistan’s elected institutions assert themselves’
An interview of – Ali Dayan Hasan (Director, Human Rights Watch) taken by me, published in TFT December 30 – January 05, 2012 –…
Governance crisis cannot be treated by old formula of changing faces
An old piece that I could not post earlier: Commenting on the melting state of the economy, a reputed economic analyst stated how the…
History’s ghetto – (Geneva Camp, Dhaka)
My recent piece for the The Friday Times – about the bitterness and destitution in a Dhaka camp for Biharis It was almost by…
Erasing memory to deal with loss – Pakistan, Bangladesh and India
This following article was first published in The Hindu on December 16, 2011. Forty years ago, South Asia underwent another traumatic experience with the…
Enigma of democratic governance
Pakistan’s President Iskander Mirza (1956-58) is remarked to have said that democracy was ‘unsuited’ to the genius of Pakistani people. Decades later, similar questions…
The debate on new provinces in Pakistan
Since 1977, military or quasi-military governments have ruled Pakistan. The basic tenet of such a governance structure has been centralization and denial of multiple…
Pakistani cricket hero Imran Khan’s rally in Lahore
Washington Post quoted my tweet “Today’s rally shows that the old political configuration is changing. You have to factor in the young, urbanized Pakistan…
Social media: Good, bad and the ugly
Despite the threats and risks, the Internet has provided a useful platform for people-to-people contacts. It has also facilitated issue-based engagement among South Asians…
Death Sentence in Slaying of Pakistani Governor
From the New York Times: “Today’s judgment is a positive development whereby norms of justice have prevailed. Pakistan cannot be allowed to become a…