Dear Readers, Elections are due in Pakistan in early 2013 provided all goes well. As is the norm in third world countries, politics in Pakistan has started picking up momentum and is sliding into a contentious, almost venomous mode. This is evident in the many Talk Shows being hosted on private television channels. Pakistan has…
Dear Readers, Many people, especially outsiders not familiar with how things work at the official level in Pakistan will be shocked to learn that not a single project of the size of either Mangla or Tarbela dam has beer initiated during the last four decades or so. Should it then be surprising that Pakistan finds…
Dear Meekal, Your advantage of theoretical knowledge over someone without any false pretense of being an economist gave you the opportunity of subjecting me to condescending ridicule, you seem to have taken it with some pleasure in your article of July 3, 2012 in reply to mine, “Running out of time and money”. Given resumption…
The Allied Landings on the Normandy beaches on the coast of France on June 6, 1944 during World War 2 is commonly known as “The Longest Day”. After reports appeared initially in the electronic media that he was doled out almost Rs. 400 million by Malik Riaz of Bahria town-fame, the Chief Justice of Pakistan…
Sustaining a fairly active monarchy with all its inherent pomp and show, the British system of “democracy” is a contradiction to the theoretical concept of one man-one vote where all power belongs to the people. Democracy without good governance is a farce, adherence to the concepts of governance and the rule of law in the…
Dear Readers,The post-World War II period saw many nations gain independence, in Asia that included Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Laos, Carnbod’a, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and a few more. Where do we stand compared to many of these countries in respect of progress, development and economic prosperity? Dark clouds have hung over Pakistan’s…
Dear Readers,The judicial commission that was assigned to probe into Memogate finally concluded its findings despite the many twists and turns, some of which were engineered to derail/delay the process and the bizarre claims and countless contradictions that kept cropping up. The forensic reports of Mansoor Ijaz’s Blackberry and laptop were made a part of…
The dramatic electoral changes in Europe will likely effect other countries of the world, more because of France than Greece, and for different reasons. The two “left of centre” French Presidential candidates who could not survive the first round both endorsed François Hollande, rabidly Conservative Marie Le Pen did not support either. The close vote,…
Yusuf Raza Gilani’s imprisonment on a contempt of court charge lasted a little over 30 seconds, the conviction was enough to set off a legal and political firestorm. Gilani’s defiance is pure political bluster, he will be history sooner rather than later. With his legal status as PM in limbo, Pakistan also remains in a…
A visit to Siachen 12 years after it became the highest and coldest battleground in the world evoked “WITHERING HEIGHTS” (Sep 19, 1996), “The watershed for the Indus and Tarim River Basins, the sparsely populated Karakoram Ranges has four peaks exceeding 26000 ft, K-2 being the world’s second highest mountain after Everest. The Karakorams are…
