Talking to DawnNews, veteran journalist Agha Murtaza Poya called America, India, and Israel an ‘axis of evil out to destroy Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.’ There is absolutely nothing new or original about Poya’s grand ‘geopolitical’ assessment, but when such unsubstantiated claptrap comes...

Amidst the mayhem gripping Pakistan today, there is also a deafening silence pervading the corridors of power and the ranks of the opposition on the prevailing security situation. That silence, too, is being heard now. Pakistan is at war, and this is a war that is being fought as much in our cities as...

Operation Rah-i-Nijat, ‘the path to deliverance’ is the name given to the military operation in South Waziristan. But as the military makes inroads in the tribal area, evoking a spirit of redemption amongst the locals seems to be the most challenging aspect. As military troops enter a decisive...

‘Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I can assure you, it’s much more important than that.’ Bill Shankly said these words. He was a charismatic man and Liverpool Football Club’s most successful manager. The quote was classic Shankly: witty, passionate, and showing his...

Schools in Karachi have been closed down before – or evacuated mid-session – after a hoax call threatening a bomb blast. Schools have also been closed down when heavy rains have left institutions flooded and streets inaccessible. Various strikes have caused schools to remain shut for a day every...

It was a power iftari. Politicians, journalists and foreign diplomats nibbled, nattered, and name-dropped. At the host’s table sat a quiet and surly attaché from some Central Asian country, another grinning but shy attaché from the Far East, a media mogul, and the Turkish ambassador. As uniformed...

The coordinated attacks on security infrastructure which went on for a week gave Pakistan a real taste of an insurgent backlash to violent conflict. Over the weekend, amidst security threats to educational institutions, ranging from schools to universities, the media speculated over whether these would...

It would be an obvious thing to proclaim that no place and no one’s safe from the brutality of terrorism in Pakistan. There are no safe havens here where the faith-charged barbarians can’t and won’t strike. However, and ironically, over the last couple of years, what was once one of the most edgy...

We’ve been making people very angry lately. Not that I’d like to call Pakistan the bad guy in any scenario but lets face it, we need to acknowledge the fact that we’ve been seriously ticking off our neighbours lately. India and Pakistan have had a bitter relationship since the big breakup but the...

We, as people of the subcontinent, have recently started campaigning against the racial discrimination meted out to us in new pastures – particularly North America and Europe, and especially post-9/11. While the world still grapples with the fine line between civil liberties and security, and Latinos...