Author Archive
My memories of BB’s assassination – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: It was a Thursday, last weekend of 2007. I had my wife’s family visiting us in Dubai. With the election campaign going at full throttle, I had planned to be in Karachi on 4th of January 2008, allowing me
Democracy’s Sahiba: Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan – by Ali Raja: “Punjab” a five letter word with a never ending series of definitions. The history, the geography, the demography and the culture of Punjab is so deep and immense that one cannot define Punjab in a one liner statement. Punjab
Our Quaid-e-Azam – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: Related articles: LUBP Archive on Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah When I visited India in the summer of 2004, just after the infamous and unsuccessful “Shining India” campaign of the Bharatia Janata Party, I couldn’t stop thanking Muhammad Ali Jinnah, affectionately
Azam Swati vs Hamid Saeed Kazmi: Related article: The Barelvi-Deobandi feud and ‘becharay’ Pakistani – by Tanvir Qaiser Shahid Source: daily Express
Rulers and taxes – by Khurram Hussain: This is an interesting article that is praising the government in the way it is trying to handle the RGST issue. It is also tracing the history of efforts on revenue generation. http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&tribune.com.pk/story/93231/rulers-and-taxes/ Things were not going well for
Media under threat in Pakistan – A contrarian view to LUBP – By Shaukat M. Zafar: The common people have the right to know the working of their government. People intend to be aware of the happenings around them and it is because of media that the people keep aware of what is happening around
PM’s wife’s dupatta and Haji Javed Chauhdry – by Ali Raja: Jonathan Swift was a political philosopher, a critic, a poet and a revolutionist. One of the wisest men of his times. A man who holds the honour of overthrowing the Tory Government of Great Britain. A man who holds
Now that is what you call a “top-spin”! Jang and The News at it again – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: According to a top headline in 11th December’s Jang and The News, public’s trust in government has plummeted as Rs. 60 billion withdrawn from Defense Saving Schemes. Now, we all know about the credentials of Jang and The News
Plot to kill Justice Sharif found baseless – yet another loss for Ansar Abbasi and gang of Geo TV / Jang Group: Related Articles: We look forward to the follow up story to the plot to kill Justice Sharif- by Chaudry Ahmad Khan and Ahmad Iqbalabadi Special Branch Report to kill Khwaja Sharif “false and baseless” The alleged Plot to kill
Steps to calm the gathering storm – by Ali Wahab: Source: Express Tribune The country has faced an acute energy crisis over the last three years. Be it a supply gap in electricity generation resulting in prolonged outages, a demand surge because of unplanned growth in gas consumption or
Smuggling and its effects on economy – by Shaukat Masood Zafar: Smuggling severely harms the economy of a country in multidimensional ways. It undermines the local industry, discourages legal imports and reduces the volume of revenues collected from duties and levies by the state. Unfortunately a parallel underground economy has
Enmity—At whose cost? – By Khawar Ayaz: Enmity—At whose cost? Khawar Ayaz Daily Mail, 4th November, 2010 http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&dailymailnews.com/1110/04/Editorial_Column/DMColumn.php DESIRE for a cup of tea with Ch. Pervaiz Ellahi has stirred a storm in the political circles. When Palestinians can meet and talk with Israeli government officials
Chaudhry Sahab, let’s have local bodies elections first – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: It is interesting to see whenever the Prime Minister speaks his heart out. He usually keeps his best for the floor of the National Assembly. Yesterday, was no exception. The PM strongly rebuffed calls for political change in the
A critical perspective on recent hike in fuel prices – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: OGRA announced an increase in petroleum products on 31st October. The increase is for sure going to fuel inflation, something which the whole nation has to endure, however, it is important to realize that why petroleum prices are to
Passionless mourning for Farooq Leghari: Former President Farooq Leghari died a couple of weeks earlier of a heart failure. The man was buried in his native DG Khan district where a decent crowd was in attendance. It is a gesture of Parliament that whenever
Politics of Plot Allotment – concern of Ahmed Noorani: Rauf Klasra is doing a series of reports on the beneficiaries of politics of Plot Allotment during the last few years. The first piece was on the high and mighty judges who have been allotted plots in Islamabad, even
How remittances can aid development – by Ali Wahab: Express Tribune, 1st November 2010 Remittances sent by expatriates have traditionally played a key role in the development of economies back home. India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Indonesia rely heavily on workers’ remittances and so does Pakistan.
Asma Jahangir’s victory and the reaction of reactionary forces – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: In my immediate response to Asma Jahangir’s victory titled “Asma Jahangir’s victory is a loss for Jang Group’s yellow journalism” I had expressed my glee over the symbolic nature of her victory. It was also heartening to see a
Little is expected of Barack Obama’s visit to India: Little is expected of Barack Obama’s visit to India The Economist Oct 28th 2010 | delhi BARACK OBAMA is expected to arrive in India next week in time for Diwali, the subcontinent’s festival of light. In Delhi and Mumbai
Toon Talk: Yellow Journalists pale further – by M. Ali: In simple words…second loss in one week.
Zardari cronies attempt to buy honest lawyers!: All I had to do was to read the headline and it made sense. In Pakistan, you are damned if you do, damned if you don’t! The recent nomination of ex-Senator Dr. Khalid Ranjha, a PML linked politician
Hamid Mir is everywhere: Dear Friends, Yesterday the National Day of Republic of Turkey was celebrated in Islamnabad by the Ambassador of Turkey. The Turkish national day is one of the most sought after events in the diplomatic calendar of Islamabad. This time
An Open Letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan – by Zaheer Ahmed Khan: Pakistani media, especially electronic and to be more specific New Channels has been projecting and broadcasting the violent and brutal scenes over and over again making an event breaking news for many hours. That is effecting the image of
Hamid Mir vs Fauzia Wahab on media’s accountability: We have received this email from PPP’s Information Secretary, Fauzia Wahab which talks about an experience in a program on Samaa TV called “Faisla Aap Ka”. The host of the show was Asma Shirazi while the program was telecast
Struggle in the eyes of Allama Iqbal: Sultan Tipu ki wasiyat: In our intermediate textbook, there was poem by Allama Iqbal called “Sultan Tipu Kee Wasiyat” (Sultan Tipu’s Will). The poem was not long. As per our education system, we were supposed to learn it by heart and then re-write
Asma Jahangir’s victory is a loss for Jang Group’s yellow journalism – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: Related articles: Congratulations, Asma Jahangir won the SCBA elections – by pejamistri Asma Jahangir becomes first female SCBA president; success of democracy in Pakistan I was in my class teaching a very dry subject when I saw an email
Tariq Butt’s deep analysis of the PPP-PML-Q dialogue – by Sikandar Mehdi: Related articles: Nawaz Sharif’s alliance with Musharraf League: Where are the principles now? PML-N alliance with Musharraf League: Tariq Azeem to meet Nawaz in London Butt Sahib’s analyses in The News (Jang Group) are so deep that you can
Supreme Court judges unduly allotted plots in Islamabad – Rauf Klasra’s first scoop: The torch bearers of justice and equality to the people of Pakistan were allotted plots in Islamabad worth millions of rupees by during the last two years! This is in spite of the “azad adliya’s” tirade against the current
Toon Talk: Chief Saab and Ansar Abbasi – by M. Ali: Our regular contributor has expressed his feelings on the recent verdict on 18th Amendment through the following cartoon.
Yet Another Corruption Perception Index – Transparency International’s mindless logic: A press conference is going to take place today in which the high and mighty, Syed Adil Gilani, Chairman of Transparency International Pakistan is going to thunder that “Pakistan 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index Score is 2.3 against 2.4 in
Geo’s Priorities – Blast at Pakpattan’s Shrine is much lower in headlines than Babar Awan’s meeting with Chaudhry Pervez Ilahi: When the PPP and the government complains of over focus on personalities by Geo and Jang Group, then these complains are backed by genuine grievance. The attack on Baba Farid Gunj Shakar’s shrine on October 25, 2010 in
Cranky nobility: On PPP’s boycott of Geo TV – by Nadeem F Paracha: Source: Dawn, October 24, 2010 I don’t know what the situation would be once this column goes into print, but a TV channel’s all out, constant outburst against Zardari certainly seems something that has very little to do with
Blast from the past: Unnecessary Criticism of the Kerry Lugar Bill – 8th October 2009: It’s been more than a year that all the hoo-haa started on the Kerry-Lugar Bill. I had written a post then about the Unnecessary Criticism of the aid package. It becomes all the more ironic now that the same
Judicial appointments, again – by Asad Jamal: Source: Express Tribune The Supreme Court’s short order is somewhat enigmatic as it raises more questions than it answers. It is, however, being hailed by many as a sort of a political compromise. The Order has only addressed
Pakistan, the state that refuses to fail: Every now and then, an article appears in foreign publications like New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Times of London, Time, Economist which makes its headlines in Pakistani newspapers and TV channels. Why it makes headlines followed
Will ‘civil society’ please relax? – By Ayaz Amir: Ayaz Amir has been a respectable columnist of Pakistan though for PPP supporters, he has been a thorn all along. He is now a member of National Assembly from his native Chakwal and this is his second stint
Pakistan’s media piling on president – Washington Post: It seems that the Western Media is coming to see through what Pakistani media is doing. Having repeatedly picked up stories on an as is basis, Washington Post has questioned the recent frenzy created by the media. They have