Karachi Literature Festival: Too many divides to bridge
By Ali Syed KARACHI: ‘Bridging divides’, as the name suggests, was about a certain disparity within the Pakistani society, perhaps religion vs secularism, moderation…
Literature Festival ends with homage to Faiz
By Peerzada Salman KARACHI: A befitting and heartfelt tribute to Faiz Ahmed Faiz ended the 2nd Karachi Literature Festival at a local hotel on…
Pakistan radicals rule the streets
TENS of thousands of people crowded the streets of Lahore late on Sunday demanding freedom for the assassin of Punjab governor Salman Taseer. The…
Civil versus political society
By Raza Rumi Several self-styled analysts on ‘civil society’ have articulated contrarian views about the kind of choices they face, particularly with respect to…
Could there be a liberal resurgence in Pakistan? Lawmaker Sherry Rehman says she’s working on it.
By Issam Ahmed Fri Jan 28 | Karachi, Pakistan – Liberal Pakistani lawmaker Sherry Rehman left a comfortable life researching a book in London…
On human rights, courts and governance
My interview Ali Dayan Hasan of Human Rights Watch published in The Friday Times No government institution, including the courts, should be immune from…
Jinnah’s Pakistan is not dead
In recent weeks, several commentators have dwelt upon the amorphous notion of Jinnah’s Pakistan, challenging its notional contours and exposing its overt ideological underpinnings.…
Salmaan Taseer: A life less ordinary
Remembering the man that was Salmaan Taseer o these liars and swindlers, these contractors of faith I am a rebel, I am a rebel…
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…
Another blow to Pakistan: Salmaan Taseer killed by extremism
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer’s brutal murder at the hands of a security personnel is a cruel reminder of where we have landed ourselves: in…
RIP Salmaan Taseer: this country did not deserve you
Salmaan Taseer’s brutal murder at the hands of a policeman is a cruel reminder of where we have landed ourselves: in a dark morass…
On Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
C.M. Naim’s, A Professor Emiretus had shared this some months ago: “What an extraordinary man he was. Iftikhar Alam Sahib has been publishing books…
Our brotherly friends
Thanks to sensational reporting on WikiLeaks, the relationship of Pakistan with Saudi Arabia has been spotlighted. We have known of ideological links between radical…
Pakistan: It is time for the judiciary to address incompetence and prejudice within its own ranks
Ali Dayan Hasan, Senior South Asia Researcher for Human Rights Watch, spoke to Raza Rumi about the blasphemy law. What is your position on…
Wikileaks and Pakistan
The WikiLeaks saga has reconfirmed the status of Pakistan as a client state. Its leadership – civilian and military – as a matter of…
Remembering Faiz and his Culture Policy of early 1970s
Today is the 26th death anniversary of Faiz Ahmed Faiz whose life and works are national assets. Faiz was a torchbearer of the glorious…
Islands of Hope – Life and Works of Akhter Hameed Khan
Raza Rumi reviews a book on the life and works of Akhter Hameed Khan, a legendary development guru “It is not enough to say…
Strategic grandeur
As if Pakistan’s domestic woes were not troubling, the unravelling of the US strategy and its implications are eluding even the best of strategists.…
On counterterrorism and human rights
From an interview that I conducted: There is, of course, a nationalist discourse, as shrill as it is bogus, centered on US-bashing and lionizing…
Asma Jahangir’s election: A step towards a progressive Pakistan
Asma Jahangir’s victory in the Supreme Court Bar Association elections is a momentous event in the country’s political and legal landscape. Even the worst…