Pakistan: No Country For Rebellion

Following the tumultuous events in Bangladesh and the dramatic ouster of Sheikh Hasina, Pakistani analysts have been debating if such a regime change was likely in their…

حساب کتاب بند کر کے آگے کی بات کی جائے ، آصف زرداری کی یہ تجویز قابل عمل ہے؟

حساب کتاب بند کر کے آگے کی بات کی جائے ، آصف زرداری کی یہ تجویز قابل عمل ہے؟…

اوپوزیشن کہ رہی ہے کہ ہم ایک ہی ڈائریکشن میں چلیں گے لیکن پی ٹی آئ کہ رہی ہے کہ ہمیں اوپوزیشن کام نہیں کرنے دے رہی ۔۔ ؟

اوپوزیشن کہ رہی ہے کہ ہم ایک ہی ڈائریکشن میں چلیں گے لیکن پی ٹی آئ کہ رہی ہے کہ ہمیں اوپوزیشن کام نہیں…

Raza Rumi on Sindh festival

My analysis on the Sindh festival and the criticism on PPP. There might be a political angle to the recent Sindh Festival but calling…

Imran Khan is Pakistan’s new captain. Will he deliver?

Pakistanis on July 25 elected Imran Khan as their new prime minister. Even though the complete results have not been declared, he made a…

An icon for a sane, just Pakistan

Salmaan Taseer’s defiance of convention and collective cowardice is one of the watersheds of Pakistan’s contemporary history. His defence of a poor Christian woman…

Political Princes: Struggles of Rahul Gandhi and Bilawal Bhutto

Two days ago, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, scion of the legendary Bhuttos, celebrated his 27th birthday. His party workers also known as jiyalas (the impassioned…

Farewell President Zardari

Analyzing President Zardari’s tenure President Zardari has set a new record of being the only democratically elected President to have completed his term and…

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…

Challenges of Political Transition

My piece published here Pakistan’s next general election, due in a few months, will be the first where civilian forces are in charge of…

Pakistan: Prime Minister Gilani’s ouster – what next?

My recent analysis for Express Tribune published yesterday: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s inevitable ouster has created another storm in Pakistani politics reminding us…

Is Pakistan heading for early elections?

Published in India’s leading weekly Tehelka Deep political instability immediately before the elections makes it difficult for a smooth transfer of power Just when…

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…

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…

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…

Dynasties and Clientelism in Pakistan

THE hallmark of Pakistan’s political elites is their narrow base. A limited number of families have dominated Pakistan’s legislatures since the country’s inception in…

Last chance for Pakistan

Taseer’s brutal murder has exposed every faultline of contemporary Pakistan The brutal assassination of Governor Punjab, Salmaan Taseer by a staff member of Punjab’s…

Mixed emotions complicate Punjab governor’s assassination

Salman Masood [NATION] ISLAMABAD // Analysts said yesterday that the assassination of Salman Taseer shows the extent of extremism in a deeply divided society…

Democracy – the only option

Much has been elaborated on the binding constraints faced by Pakistani democracy. Conventional wisdom suggests that the civil-military imbalance has left little space for…

Who’s afraid of Sherry Rehman?

Published in The Express Tribune: It has been rather disturbing to witness the way Sherry Rehman has been the latest target of the purists…