Opinion
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What Obama needs to do in his second term
If Obama wishes for legacy, he will have to regress from his Left philosophical base to a more centrist political one.
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Skyfalling Petraeus
He is not a victim. Distinguished military generals are not virtuous nor are they eminently good people.
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The file
US president Clinton had trashed a file which made a case for terrorism-related sanctions against Pakistan.
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The ever elusive Rule of Law
Rule of Law, if it were to be implemented in earnest, would limit the powers of each of the three state actors.
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The Motorway and the Dark Ages
On Sunday, faithful returning from Tableeghi Jamaat’s ijtama populated Motorway, rest stops, pushing it to Dark...
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Four more years — confrontation or conciliation?
It is in Pakistan’s interest to identify the Obama Administration’s likely policy goals in this part of the world.
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Raising daughters
Malala's father deserves recognition of his fatherhood. She represents the best in the next generation of the ummah.
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Recovering Pakistan
Pakistan will begin to change within a few years in terms if we decide today that no child will be left out of school.
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Courting trouble
The Court’s influence has become too massive which, if not hemmed in, could cause the democracy to collapse.
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Parliament’s abdication
The net effect of tax system is to take the power to tax away from Parliament and put it in the hands of bureaucrats.
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A national psyche of fear
Our country has been hijacked — not politically but through the psychology of hate and fear.
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The impunity to hope
A country where original thought is shunned, has a long way to go before it starts hoping for change.
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Who’s afraid of Hindutva?
Hindutva is completely self-reliant in, and stimulated by, its insecurity.
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Pakistan’s aging population
Aging presents a range of socio-economic challenges for individuals, families, and societies at large.
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The Afghan factor in Pakistan’s future
Possible division of Afghanistan will have serious economic, political consequences for Pakistan and its people.
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Raising questions
Army Chief General Kayani asks two fundamental questions in an address to officers at the GHQ in Rawalpindi.
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Constitution and the state
The very organisation that attempts to get extraconstitutional power, actually gets weakened.
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The London that was and will never be …
Student life in London was an experience I would not have missed for anything.
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In defence of VS Naipaul
I don’t think Naipaul is prejudiced against Muslims, since his work is based on field reportage, not regurgitation.
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Peace and friendship for good governance
Goals of peace, friendship can be achieved not only through talks on bilateral issues but also by sharing experiences.
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What is ‘national interest’?
In Pakistan, it is the army that decides strategy. The other institutions, like the government, simply adjust to it.
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Chief versus Chief
In my opinion, both Army Chief & Chief Justice of Pakistan have disregarded red lines in making political statements.
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The tussling trio
Chief justice, president and army; All three lay claim to some sort of divine right.
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A growing monster
Pakistan will be renamed ‘Talibistan’ unless there is immediate awakening and necessary change is put in place.
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A new foreign minister
Khurshid is grounded in the liberal school of Nehruvian politics, egalitarianism is the touchstone of public life.
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Belling the (Taliban) cat
Pakistani notion of justice, what is right and wrong is so problematic that a battle against terrorism can’t be...
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The death of Chakar Khan
What touched most was the feeling with which he spoke for the Baloch, the way state had perpetrated injustice on them.
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Building a knowledge economy
If Pakistan is to emerge from the deprivation that afflicts its people, it must invest in its true wealth: the youth.
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How the west was lost
Previously, tribal areas had been unsettled & garrisoned by military forces meaning inconsistent material development.
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More loyal than the king
People will only repose trust in armed forces when they prove they are part of people & not dropped out of the sky.
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Violence as performance
Does the presence of a TV camera or the promise of wide exposure in itself stimulate the performance of violent acts?
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Little hope, no change
Republican or Democrat, the PML-N or PPP: these are choices that hold little bearing in our relationship with the US.
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Militancy and the conceptual lag
Battle for Swat was fought on hills of the valley but war against militancy can only be won in minds of the people.
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What Pakistan can learn from the US poll
Obama’s win is seen outside the US as a sign of hope, a major setback to the extremist right.
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In defence of General Kayani
Do not demoralise the troops by criticising the army as an institution; focus on individual culprits.
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Imran Khan thinks like the Taliban
In an age when impact of piece is gauged by the amount of comments it gets, bashing Imran is a sure route to success.
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Born in the USA
Springsteen was right when he said that Obama was the only difference between the American dream & American reality.
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No debates in Indian politics
Our national bumper slogan should be: “Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country can do for you”
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The aftermath
How does Asghar Khan’s letter, Bhutto’s ISI notification absolve those who committed crime of stealing 1990 polls?
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Agribusiness versus poor farmers
There is little evidence of attempts to bolster indigenous seed stocks, and prevent potential monopoly of GM seeds.
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The PPP’s terrible economic performance
Economic situation is grim, to say the least and there is a general perception that situation is unlikely to improve.
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Elites, paradox, and rules of the game
Elites always provide leaders in different spheres of life. But we must create laws where leaders submit to averages.
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Accountability: a hollow hope
All premiers have failed to complete their terms. But no military general or judge faced litigation for what they did.
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Rethinking ‘imperial stretch’
The US is witnessing ‘imperial’ fatigue as the two wars have drained its national energy and resources.
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US election: too close to call
With backgrounds, life experiences as different as chalk and cheese, the 2 candidates represent 2 conflicting views.
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Gresham’s law and public morality
If elections to elite body of skilled advocates turns on personality issues, what hope is there for rest of country?
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The spirit of volunteerism
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
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A partnership for peace and prosperity
The forthcoming ASEM Summit will offer an opportunity to address a wide range of issues of mutual interest.
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The killing fields
The writ of the state continues to be challenged in Karachi, the last frontier in the war against militancy.
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Embrace, not reject the United States
Pakistan will need the US more than the US will need Pakistan.