A crucial week ahead for Imran Khan
Any misstep could be harmful for the country A politician’s performance is judged neither by his intentions nor the efforts he makes, but by the results he produces. Prime Minister Imran Khan…
The Maulana under threat of arrest
The Interior Minister takes a hard line Interior Minister Brig (retd) Ijaz Shah has told MNAs that no one was above the law, and would not be allowed to take the law…
Sensible decisions
Pak-Afghan trade, US-Taliban talks and no jihad export It was a sensible step to open 24/7 trade services across the Torkham border. A number of factors have reduced trade with Afghanistan from…
Child murders in Chunian
The police shows how unreformed it is The murder of three little boys after they were criminally assaulted, and their bodies being found only after, and by passers-by, traumatised the people of…
Kashmir cause and the PTI government
Self-determination should be cornerstone of policy At long last Prime Minister Imran Khan is undertaking two foreign tours to garner international support for the Kashmir cause. After several phone calls to Saudi…
Media tribunals
An attempt to gain control Perhaps the most suspicious thing about the Federal Cabinet’s approval of a draft bill setting up media tribunals in its meeting on Tuesday is that it has…
Consequences of a bad political choice
PTI’s incompetence compromising its patrons That Prime Minister Imran Khan has to declare almost every month that he will never strike a deal with the former corrupt rulers shows there are forces…
Naya dress code
Reversing a wrong decision is not enough An order issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government making it mandatory for all school-going girls in government run secondary and higher secondary educational institutions…
Country not being told the whole truth
Those in power will be held responsible for any failure After Trump’s offer of mediation between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, PM Khan was euphoric. He told his supporters on arrival at…
Ghotki held hostage
Influence giving way to unchecked violence A Hindu school owner was accused by one of his students of committing blasphemy in Ghotki, Sindh resulting in a complete shut down as a violent…
Staying off the blacklist
Just Indian machinations? Prime Minister Imran Khan has apparently absolved Pakistan of ever having done anything to avoid the wrath of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) by saying that it was…
End of ‘A’ class
The government goes after the opposition A proposed end to ‘A’ class jails was unveiled with much fanfare, with the combined weight of the PM’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Firdous Ashiq…
Botching it in Punjab
Has PTI no competent leader to manage the province? On Friday, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar accepted the resignation of his spokesperson Shehbaz Gill. Several explanations were subsequently hazarded for the official being…
Uninterested in CPEC
Can the government make good on its commitments? After about a gap of 10 months the 58th Progress Review Meeting between Pakistan and China for CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) was held, the…
Fighting for Kashmir on the diplomatic front
The tough battle ahead Prime Minister Imran Khan’s third visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir in four weeks was aimed at sending a strong message to the world to help end the…
Sitting on refunds
The autodealers’ demands show industry collapsing That the government has long used delays in paying industry tax refunds to artificially (and deceptively) beef up tax collection figures was acknowledged by the International…
From judicial activism to active judicialism
Proof of the pudding is in the eating The opposition and media have repeatedly raised the two issues of one-sided accountability and media curbs that have become particularly glaring during the last…