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…
In Karachi, the political and ethnic violence that’s killed hundreds of people since July
In Pakistan’s largest city and commercial capital, Karachi, the surge in violence that began in July and has killed many hundreds of people, continues.…
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…
Pakistan Floods: Making the same mistakes?
Rarely have countries been so incapable of responding to challenges, as is the case with Pakistan. Last year, the worst flood in our history…
Regressive governance (book review)
“…the pasture of stupidity is unwholesome for mankind.” – Ibn-e-Khaldun Pakistan’s ‘crisis’ of governance has now acquired an axiomatic status. Local and foreign experts…
The enigma that is Pakistan (book review)
Anatol Lieven’s new book is not just a contemporary account of Pakistan, it also attempts to present an alternative narrative of what is often…
Pakistan’s budget: Policy sans public
The government should involve the media and civil society in raising awareness and building consensus on reform. In several parts of the world, accessible…