Opinion
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Federal development priorities
The government needs to concentrate on infrastructure development in energy, water and communication sectors.
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Corruption Inc.
Corruption has reached a figure which defies hyperbole. Rs3 trillion has been bled out by the Zardari-Gilani govt.
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Education — doing the doable
Government needs to standardise education across the country as a policy, and integrate it into mainstream sectors.
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The world’s newest nation
Pakistan, and in particular Karachi, has something to learn from South Sudan.
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Crisis spells a haircut
Our savings which are supposed to finance our future growth, are being diverted to pay for current consumption instead
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Swat after the Taliban
Having liberated Swat, the army and government together must now ensure that those who died did not do so in vain.
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Kaptaan, the country’s most popular leader
How Imran Khan will convert his popularity into a political advantage in the next elections. My gut feeling is he will
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Boom boom bang bang
Just taking a moment to snap on a rubber sheath can save us all a great deal of trouble.
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Flaws in US perceptions of Pakistan’s ‘democracy’
Allow me to differ very respectfully from the concept of democracy which the US has about Pakistan.
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The Goat-Spy Letters — VIII
The proposal calls for a grass-roots level, nationwide programme called No Child Left Without A-Bomb.
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The Great Leap Backwards
The police model was the only one British knew of maintaining order i.e. using barbaric force on indigenous populace.
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Self-reliance or smart engagement?
Hermitism constitutes a splendid individual strategy for gaining nirvana but represents poor national policy.
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Peace prospects with India
Both need to recognise that the establishment of goodwill and beginning of cooperative relations would benefit both.
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Is education no longer in a state of emergency?
Countries beginning to show improved human development indicators have invested far more in education than us.
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Turf wars
Everyone knows the culprits and can identify them in private and off the record, but no one dares stand witness.
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Climate change in the hills of Murree
In past three years, autumn means drought, leaving traditional crops little time grow to a harvestable size.
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Local government and democracy
In one broad sweep, an elected government has set aside a century of progress, again subduing local governance.
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Kabhi apni shakal dekhi hai?
Whether Kashmiris really want to join us is a question only they can answer. At this point, I can’t see why they...
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Securing food in volatile markets
Spiking food prices, and their impact on hunger, were given due attention at the G-20 agriculture ministers summit.
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What the new ‘catch-up’ period is likely to bring
In the current economic catch-up period, two countries rapidly moving forward in the global economy, India and China.
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Charged by the media
News of the World (NOTW) tabloid, invaded people’s privacy and committed some of the gravest rights violations.
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Our dying cultural heritage
Umair plans to introduce classical music to schools so that children at least listen to it to keep the art form alive.
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‘Raped women should keep quiet’
Hasan spoke calmly, choosing his words carefully, making sure that he articulated his position exactly.
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Spinning half-truths on Balochistan
Rawalpindi agents are fanning hate by insinuating that Baloch nationalists are killing all non-Baloch in the province.
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The future of Nagarparkar
A substantial amount of culture and scenic beauty of Nagarparkar was preserved till a road link was made in 2008.
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Explaining Fazal Saeed’s ‘defection’ in Kurram
Fazal Saeed Haqqani's defection from the TTP means only the Mehsud and Taliban from Orakzai and Darra inhabhit Kurram.
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Illegal assets
The good chief justice may order away to his heart’s content but somehow Zardari's government wiggles its way out.
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Myth of the Silk Road — II
No silk ever came from China to India through Hunza and Gilgit, the Karakoram Highway is not part of the Silk Route.
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Importance of local government
Why don’t we have local rather than midterm national elections at the fag end?
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Midterm elections — a very reachable goal
To save Pakistan people need to protest peacefully in the streets, demand govt resign and insist upon midterm polls.
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Kashmir — seizing the moment
Mainstream political parties in Pakistan are more concerned with mainland politics than with Kashmir itself.
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Separatism online
Instead of undertaking the impossible task of silencing the online Baloch crowd, we must engage with them.
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The unusual journey of Muhammad Asad
My introduction to Asad was through The Road to Mecca, which I discovered by accident while browsing in a bookstore.
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Power to the provinces
With the kind of administrative record the Sindh government has...nobody will come out of it really well.
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The Goat-Spy Letters — VII
In which Jassasa learns how the Benevolent Mischief of the Dark Pate ended the violent dealings of the past.
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Signing the refugee convention
By acceding to Refugee convention, Pakistan would be able to distinguish between asylum seekers and refugees.
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Manmohan Singh’s mantra
Manmohan Singh continues to be on top of the charts — but that he seemed unable to put things into first gear.
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The media and the emperor’s clothes
A free and critical press cannot do much until the public consumers are weaned off rote learning.
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A big power shift
The structure of federalism has irreversibly changed, but taking new roots may take longer.
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Quick, which country am I talking about?
The online community can perhaps help influence the future history of Pakistan for the better.
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Afghanistan and the US troops’ withdrawal
Afghanistan is not likely to move on a smooth road once the Americans begin to pull back.
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What will happen in Afghanistan and Pakistan after 2014
Pakistan would do well to talk to US, India, Iran and Afghanistan and make clear and unambiguous policy on terrorism.
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Time to look beyond our crisis?
Pakistan’s problems are almost always blamed on invisible external hands, opposed to real internal decline and decay.
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Calling this house to order
The evolutionary process has started and the best way to do this is to take this nascent democracy to the next step.
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Restraining academia
Agencies don’t understand what is lapped up on local media, makes a difficult sell in serious academic environments.
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In pursuit of reconciliation
Contrary to what the Prime Minister says, reconciliation has is considered as the source of all our current woes.
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Apologists and the second sex
When men and women condemn the subjugation of women yet fail to take action, they render themselves silent accomplice.
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VS Naipaul, Dominic Strauss-Kahn and misogyny in general
Whether it is in India or Pakistan, there are terrible incidents of violence against women every day and every hour.
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Making the same mistakes this monsoon?
Without effective local governments, NDMA, dyke repairs, natural disasters cannot be adequately handled.
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A tribute to Vasim Aon Jaffrey
Jaffrey was acknowledged among his peers in service as an outstanding civil servant and a pre-eminent economist.

















































