Democracy Archive
Is Nawaz Sharif paving the road to martial law in Pakistan?: If the army is compelled to step in Now that the two mainstream parties have virtually declared the doors of reconciliation shut, commentators are already talking of the possibility of the army stepping in “to bring the country back
Ansar Abbasi: Nawaz Sharif must refrain from political reconciliation with the PPP.: Ansar Abbasi advises Nawaz Sharif to refrain from reconciliation. He suggests that politics of reconciliation can be devastating for the country. Really? Good bye,
Pakistan’s left tilts towards right: Partners in crime? Deconstructing Tariq Ali and Atitzaz Ahsan: Related articles: Aitzaz Ahsan, PPP and Long March: A critical perspective – by Abbas Ather You too Aitzaz Ahsan, the leader of the legal community? PPP suspends Ch Aitzaz as member CEC Are Pakistan’s secular ideologues abetting the right
Tahir Sarwar Mir: Sharif Brothers and their principled struggle for revolution: Nila Gumbad loves Anarkali Shahbaz Sharif’s revolutionary style and the pledge to change his name (to what?) unless…. Parda hai parda – Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) Some relevant comments: MalangBaba said: Reconciliation can only happen if both sides are
Talat Masood: Fallout of the Supreme Court verdit: Fallout of the verdict Monday, March 02, 2009 Talat Masood The way events are unfolding in Pakistan it appears our national failure has been programmed and the political software written by our leaders, whether it was the erstwhile military
Nawaz Sharif’s politics of agitation: Politics of agitation —Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi Moderation, tolerance and accommodation can help overcome the present crisis. Both sides need to stand-down from their rigid perspectives. The longer they confront each other in the streets, the harder it will be
Sufi Muhammad’s contradictory charisma: Maulana Sufi Muhammad of Tehreek-e Nifaz-e Shariat-e Muhammadi (TNSM) is now the hinge on which the peace of Swat revolves. He has committed himself to a number of things in his agreement with the NWFP government that he may
The burden of history in 2009 is on the sholders of PPP, PML-N and… the army – by Ayaz Amir: Country burns, political class fiddlesFriday, February 06, 2009 By by Ayaz Amir …. At the centre the PPP government is rightly being accused of incompetence and dithering. But is leadership coming from any other direction? The army, Pakistan’s option
Ziaists in Pakistan: From long march to terrorism – some questions for Nawaz Sharif: There are two forms of Ziaists: (1) political Ziaists who keep conspiring against democracy on the pretext of one excuse or the other; (2) militant Ziaists who are represented in the shape of operatives and sympathizers of Taliban and
Gilani versus Zardari? "Sadar Zardari ko riha karo".: An open letter to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani – by Asadullah Ghalib
"Friends" of democracy in Pakistan and the "well-wishers" of PPP – Asadullah Ghalib: Ghulma Mustafa Khar, Mumtaz Bhutto, Asghar Khan and the Zardari phobia
What’s the endgame to political confrontation in Pakistan?: What’s the endgame to confrontation? President Asif Ali Zardari and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif met in Islamabad on Friday but could not reach any agreement to end the growing confrontation between the PMLN and the PPP. This was
7,700 sacked govt employees to be reinstated – What do ordinary Pakistanis think?: Politics, Humanity and Yellow Journalism – By Abbas Ather
Why I miss Musharraf versus Why I don’t miss Musharraf – by Salman Chima and Samad Khurram: Why I miss Musharraf Part I Tuesday, January 06, 2009 (The News) Salman K Chima When General Musharraf seized power, I was not among those who welcomed him – although with Justice Tarrar as the President and Shariat Amendment
Imran Khan returns Hilal-e-Pakistan – an analysis by Asadullah Ghalib: Imran Khan returned the Official Award. Why?
The story of a picture, which tell us everything about Pakistani politics…: Aik hi saff main kharay hogay geelani o nawaz na koi liberal raha na koi mazhab bardar
An advice to Asif Zardari: Respect the parliamentary system and the rule of law….Hamid Mir / Shafqat Mahmood: Power brooks no competitionReality check Friday, January 16, 2009by Shafqat Mahmood An immutable law
In the aftermath of Kashmir polls: Can India and Pakistan agree to confine itself to three subjects: defence, foreign affairs and communications?: In the aftermath of Kashmir polls By Kuldip Nayar STATE elections in Jammu and Kashmir may not have provided many answers but it has made one thing clear: the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference has been exaggerating its strength.It was wrong
The Bangladesh model and the lessons for Pakistan: Military Mullah Alliance’s new hope: The Bangladesh model in Pakistan? (Abbas Ather, Express, 1 January 2009, Common Lesson from the Bangladesh Model) … Comments: The Bangladesh model and the lessons for Pakistan By Marcvs_Tacitvs_Cicero. 1. That the Army
Talk of belling the cat: What is the agenda of Shaheen Sehbai?: Talk of belling the catTuesday, December 30, 2008By Anjum Niaz The writer is a freelance journalist with over twenty years of experience in national and international reporting Shaheen Sehbai’s surgical strike on President Zardari in this newspaper on Dec
The end of the Kashmir jihad: Elections in Kashmir… By Aakar Patel: The end of the Kashmir jihadTuesday, December 30, 2008By Aakar Patel On Jan 12, 2002, President Pervez Musharraf banned Laskhar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad. He promised that “no organisation would be allowed to carry out terrorism on the pretext of Kashmir.”
Rehman Malik shows he has a heart of gold. DG FIA Tariq Pervez retires gracefully.: DG FIA Tariq Pervez retires gracefullyMalik shows he has a heart of gold Tuesday, December 30, 2008 (The News) By Tariq Butt ISLAMABAD: The Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Tariq Pervez, refused to get extension and
Pakistan’s so-called free press – by Shaheen Sehbai: Pakistan’s so-called free press has become a beggar’s market where cheap and shoddy journalism is sold to the highest bidder…. writes Shaheen Sehbai. Who will Bell the Bad, Fat Cats? Shaheen Sehbai January 5, 2000 This article has been
Was Mumbai the Kargil 2? Joining the jigsaw puzzle: Was Mumbai the Kargil 2? What is Pakistan Army/ISI upto this time? Incriminating evidence against the unholy nexus between ISI and jihadi/sectarian forces in Pakistan Spare a few minutes in reading the following various reports. Pause and reflect for
A poem for Benazir Bhutto – and some comments by ordinary Pakistanis: Benazir Bhutto (21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007)In MemoriamWe are prepared to risk our lives, But we are not prepared to surrender our great nation to the militants. – Benazir Bhutto Hideous serpents hissed and recoiled,Mesmerized by your
A song half-sung – Benazir Bhutto’s first cousin Tariq Islam remembers her…: A song half-sungBy Tariq Islam ON a cold winter’s evening, an explosion from hell ushered in the permanent permafrost in ordinary lives. One assassin, one macabre moment of madness, one frightening flash and the dawn of hope faded, as
Was the Mumbai operation a move by ISI to topple the the democratic government in Pakistan?: Was the Mumbai attack the Kargil 2? Does ISI want to topple the democratic government of President Zardari in Pakistan? How can the UN help Pakistan? An interesting conversation between some educated Pakistanis pejamistri Says:December 17th, 2008 at 6:30
Asif Zardari among 2008 prominent personalities: People Who Mattered Most in 2008 (Time Magazine) Asif Ali Zardari Pakistan’s unfavored son ended last year by burying his slain wife Benazir Bhutto. He ends 2008 as the President of a nuclear-armed nation threatened by Islamic militancy and
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Legacy to Pakistan – A lecture by Stanley Wolpert: Jinnah of Pakistan The old forget – The young don’t know “I cannot emphasize it too much. We should begin to work in that spirit and in course of time all these angularities of the majority and minorities communities,
A simple question for all Pakistanis: The reason for most of our issues for the last 60 years has been caused primarily due to collateral damage of military rule. Our people need to start getting used to democracy but the mainstream political parties are notoriously
Is it fair to compare corruption of Pakistani politicians with corruption of Pakistani Generals?: Ghost of TK writes: I can appreciate the need to tone down the rhetoric re: the military now, but then that rule would give a loophole to those who say, wait for the things to get better before we
Reality, deception and hidden agenda of opinion polls in Pakistan: Here are two articles (by Afreen Baig and Abbas Athar) on this topic critiquing the validity as well as the hidden agenda of political surveys and polls published in Pakistani and international media. Foreign Polls and Surveys: Reality, Deception
Asif Ali Zardari: The people’s president: Thursday, December 18, 2008Waqar Mehdi Much is being said and written about President Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP coming into power for the third time in the wake of the sympathy vote after the Shahadat of Mohtarama Benazir
In defence of a secular state: Thursday, December 18, 2008Dr Rubina Saigol The mere mention of the word ‘secular’ immediately creates anxiety in the minds of many and defensive reactions are induced from the self-proclaimed defenders of Pakistan’s ideology and foundational theories. The knee-jerk reaction
What can we learn from The Madina Charter? A Multifaith and Mutlicultural Constitution for Peace and Conflict Resolution: Peace and Conflict Resolution Concepts in the Madina Charter by Yetkin Yildirim It is much easier to make contact with people from vastly different cultures and beliefs in the context of today’s world. Unfortunately, increased globalization has also broadened
10 lessons all Pakistanis must learn – By Hassan Baig: “Mulk khud hi chalta rehay ga” (approximate translation: the country doesn’t need our contribution to thrive) is a sentence many Pakistanis are prone to saying. I confess that till a few years ago, I myself was confident of this
APDM Convener Mehmood Khan Achakzai is opposed to any move to trigger political instability – Shame on you Qazi and Imran…: APDM awakes from slumber Wednesday, November 26, 2008 By Mumtaz Alvi ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), which is in hibernation for months now, is likely to hold a party heads’ meeting some time this week, The News