Opinion

In Pakistan, it is the army that decides strategy. The other institutions, like the government, simply adjust to it.

In my opinion, both Army Chief & Chief Justice of Pakistan have disregarded red lines in making political statements.

Chief justice, president and army; All three lay claim to some sort of divine right.

Pakistan will be renamed ‘Talibistan’ unless there is immediate awakening and necessary change is put in place.

Khurshid is grounded in the liberal school of Nehruvian politics, egalitarianism is the touchstone of public life.

Pakistani notion of justice, what is right and wrong is so problematic that a battle against terrorism can’t be...

What touched most was the feeling with which he spoke for the Baloch, the way state had perpetrated injustice on them.

If Pakistan is to emerge from the deprivation that afflicts its people, it must invest in its true wealth: the youth.

Previously, tribal areas had been unsettled & garrisoned by military forces meaning inconsistent material development.

People will only repose trust in armed forces when they prove they are part of people & not dropped out of the sky.

Does the presence of a TV camera or the promise of wide exposure in itself stimulate the performance of violent acts?

Republican or Democrat, the PML-N or PPP: these are choices that hold little bearing in our relationship with the US.

Battle for Swat was fought on hills of the valley but war against militancy can only be won in minds of the people.

Obama’s win is seen outside the US as a sign of hope, a major setback to the extremist right.

Do not demoralise the troops by criticising the army as an institution; focus on individual culprits.

In an age when impact of piece is gauged by the amount of comments it gets, bashing Imran is a sure route to success.

Springsteen was right when he said that Obama was the only difference between the American dream & American reality.

Our national bumper slogan should be: “Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country can do for you”

How does Asghar Khan’s letter, Bhutto’s ISI notification absolve those who committed crime of stealing 1990 polls?

There is little evidence of attempts to bolster indigenous seed stocks, and prevent potential monopoly of GM seeds.

Economic situation is grim, to say the least and there is a general perception that situation is unlikely to improve.

Elites always provide leaders in different spheres of life. But we must create laws where leaders submit to averages.

All premiers have failed to complete their terms. But no military general or judge faced litigation for what they did.

The US is witnessing ‘imperial’ fatigue as the two wars have drained its national energy and resources.

With backgrounds, life experiences as different as chalk and cheese, the 2 candidates represent 2 conflicting views.

If elections to elite body of skilled advocates turns on personality issues, what hope is there for rest of country?

There is so much that needs to be done and there are so many people who have the time and ability to make a difference

The forthcoming ASEM Summit will offer an opportunity to address a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

The writ of the state continues to be challenged in Karachi, the last frontier in the war against militancy.

Pakistan will need the US more than the US will need Pakistan.

The army, despite having prepared for the North Waziristan Operation, has had its head in a cloud of doubts.

Romney encourages Pakistan to move towards "more stable government" but what is the nature of the current instability?

We contributed to the making of Taliban & been complicit in not fighting them.This is our War. And we have to win it.

A travesty in any conflict is that aggressor believes knocking off somebody from the other side fulfills the count.

We are happy that after 22 years, Court has accepted the crime as crime. We can wait another 22 years for convictions.

Pakistan will find neither Republicans nor Democrats loving it too much in these post-Cold War days of tight money.

A wealthy and powerful India will constantly worry about poor, unstable but nuclear-armed Pakistan.

The issue of the disappeared involves serious breaches of ‘hallowed’ Constitution of Pakistan, of international law.

I advocate major changes in Constitution to install presidential system of democracy so the best person is elected.

Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya is not the failure he is made out to be; he is a success that has failed once.

We knew the ‘emergency plus’ was not against political parties but against judiciary, media for supporting deposed CJ.

Various historians from different eras and places in the world have painted Alexander according to their own morality.

The civilising project, such as renaming landmarks like Shadman Chowk, often erases much more than it builds.

Standing by Hoodbhoy is not act of deriding private university, but upholding tolerant, plural, democratic Pakistan.

Whilst we quickly blame government for gas shortage, have we paused to ask ourselves about compressors in our houses?

Hajj has the root ‘hjj’. In Urdu, there are many words originating from this root and meaning many things.

The military needs to take back and secure Dir so that Swati Taliban are not allowed to carry out audacious attacks.

How is it that the same people who cry hoarse against drones do not have a word of condemnation for the Taliban?

Divisions between the 3 arms lurk just under, even as military gives impression of being homogenous on surface.

It is ironic that it took a tidal surge to interrupt the US presidential campaign, a week before the Nov 6 election.