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…
Greater role for women in decision-making
Last week, I was invited to speak at a seminar on ‘Exploring the Gender Friendliness in Democratic Institutions’ orgnaised by The South Asia Partnership…
No more escape routes
Pakistan’s military should review the Taliban rule in Afghanistan and how they were not always the kind of partners and proxies we had envisioned…
Video| On Kabir, Bulleh Shah and Lalon Shah
Not a great recording of my talk at Kuch Khaas, Islamabad. I read some of my papers – written by me on three of…
When are we going to open our eyes?
By Raza Rumi Recent reports quote General Kayani saying that Pakistan-US relations are ‘good’ and were ‘improving’. These remarks follow hectic parleys between various…
Pakistan’s foreign policy: Escaping India?
As Pakistan negotiates with a critical moment of its 64-year-old existence, there is nothing more urgent than to review its foreign policy goals and…
Disasters, dengue and local government
By Raza Rumi: In the past few weeks, the intractable crisis of governance has once again exposed the dysfunctional nature of the Pakistani state,…
Some sobering lessons
By Raza Rumi: Adecade after the ghastly attacks on the Twin Towers, the world has not changed. It is business as usual: imperial projects,…
Hoping for Shahbaz Taseer’s early Recovery
By Raza Rumi: I fervently hope that Shahbaz Taseer is back by the time these lines are published. However, the past few days have…
Towards a decentralised Pakistan
Without civil service reform, devolution of policy setting will be unachievable and the current reform may just not achieve its intended purposes On July…
Interview with Mohammad Hanif: “Love is not yet a taboo in Pakistan”
In a few days, Mohammad Hanif’s new novel will be available in Pakistan. Last week, I met him at his house in Karachi. The…
Myth and reality of extremism
Pakistan needs to undertake research on militancy for effective policymaking A recent attempt to understand militancy, “Poverty and Support for Militant Politics: Evidence from…
The peace process: The way forward
By Subhojit Goswami Kolkata, Aug 1: “A dialogue process is not about ‘who wins’ but about empathetic understanding”, came the strong words from Pritha…
The tragic story of Urdu
What makes translating Urdu literature a rare indulgence has also kept it closeted from global appreciation. Ralph Russell, the legendary British scholar of Urdu…
The lives of others
The first half of the 20th century witnessed a transformation in Urdu literature with the emergence of the short story as the choicest medium…
In Pakistan, drone attack victims pursue criminal charges against US government officials
While the US military continues its campaign in Afghanistan, in neighboring Pakistan, there is continuing opposition to the CIA’s drone strikes. Activists, lawyers and…
Karachi continues to bleed
Karachi needs democratisation of power and robust accountability mechanisms Karachi’s mayhem in the past few days has exposed, once again, the primary issue of…
What needs to be done in Karachi
By Raza Rumi The recent escalation of violence and senseless butchery in Karachi serves to remind us once again just how the state is withering away…
The most Dangerous Place for Journalists (a short interview)
I was interviewed in Karachi last month; here is the intro and the link- Recently, the journalist Saleem Shahzad has been killed in Pakistan…