by Abbas Nasir in Dawn, September 25th, 2022The writer is a former editor of Dawn.PTI LEADER Imran Khan, it seems, has now very few cards up his sleeve and will face his moment of truth once he announces his long march date, as the response to that call will determine whether or not he can force the government into agreeing to an early election. With time running out, all eyes remain fixed on the hourglass…
Posts published in “Pak Media comment”
The writer is an analyst and commentator.What happens when multiple crises converge at the same time and place? We are watching and learning in real time. Every day brings more unbelievable news. Even the most stoic may be moved to tears watching the tragicomedic Pakistani elite stumble over itself trying to find its way around the blast sites. The country is experiencing at least half a dozen major crises at the same time – and…
The writer is a journalist.RECENTLY, Salahuddin Ahmed, a well-known legal eagle of Pakistan, tweeted about feeling gloomy. And he wasn’t referring to inflation or the floods. His concern was the state of democracy in our nook. He wrote that if GHQ and the government succeeded in beating down Imran Khan, it would mean normalising the omnipotence of the establishment. And added that if Khan won, it may usher in one-party rule. Both options, he felt,…
No crime should go unpunished. Unfortunately, in the land of the pure, ‘crimes of the state’ are not punished. From invoking the Doctrine of Necessity to the judicial murder of Bhutto there is a long list of infringements. In the chequered political history of Pakistan, only the trial of the fourth usurper under Article 6 of the constitution stands out. Perhaps when the history of Nawaz Sharif’s political journey is written this will be the…
by Arifa Noor in Dawn, August 16th, 2022The writer is a journalist.UNDOUBTEDLY, it was a big birthday bash. Though Aug 14 fell on Sunday, the celebrations had begun shortly before midnight a day earlier. Apart from the lights and people on the roads, it was also a night of much political activity — the PTI was holding its rally in Lahore, the TLP was holding one in Faizabad, and parliament was also holding a late-night…
by Ahsan Jehangir in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2022.The writer is a University of Northern Iowa Public Administration graduateIn neighbourhoods which were not reeling from the aftereffects of the monsoon downpour or streets that were not submerged in muddy torrential rainwaters, there was a cacophony of fireworks and firecrackers to celebrate Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day. Jubilant children ran around with their miniature flags in hand; teens, after having watched the light show on government…
By Javid Husain in The News, Aug 16, 2022The writer is a retired ambassador.Pakistan’s current political, economic and social crises call for introspection. Politically, the country has been badly destabilized because of weak and incompetent governments, which are the products of political engineering and electoral rigging. Economically, we are in a mess marked by grinding poverty, high unemployment and rising inflation. As a society, we have become extremely intolerant and deeply polarized. Our security and…
by Abbas Nasir in Dawn, August 14th, 2022The writer is a former editor of Dawn.IS there any possibility we can banish this politics of bans from the country? First, it was Nawaz Sharif banned for life from running for office, now the same sort of cloud is hanging over Imran Khan; and while that move will take some time to play out, PTI’s media partner, ARY News is also facing a ban. One hopes that…
by Behram Baloch | Abdul Wahid Shahwani in Dawn, August 11th, 2022KHUZDAR/GWADAR: One person was killed and 10 others, including a woman, were injured in grenade and bomb attacks in Khuzdar and Noshki areas over the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday. In one incident at Khuzdar’s Azadi Chowk, the police said unknown motorcyclists targeted a stall selling Pakistani flags and other decoration items ahead of Independence Day on Aug 14. The attackers hurled…
The writer is the author of The Dark Side of News Fixing: The Culture and Political Economy of Global Media in Pakistan and Afghanistan.TO absolve Pakistan of its role in the fall of Kabul, Prime Minister Imran Khan is trying to sell a selective story based on two simplified themes: first, he resorts to dataism (the ideological use of data) to play the victim card at the expense of the Pakhtuns; second, he shifts the…
What does the PTI want?
By Sharjeel Inam Memon in The News, Sept 25, 2022The writer is the information and transport minister for the government of Sindh.Pakistan is currently facing a very serious situation, with rains and floods having led to widespread destruction. The already crisis-ridden economy is under further pressure as a result. Due to the rapidly changing regional and global situation, Pakistan faces the challenge of tackling complex security issues and, above all, increasing threats to internal stability.…