A Political and Political Economy commentary blog on Pakistan, South Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, and Far East. Author believes in values of democracy, human rights, and transparency.
Why now?
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Weekly article in Daily Times on Bilawal Bhutto's Kashmir statement... http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/25-Sep-2014/why-now Sep 25, 2014
The establishment which had our country in her grip for decades is exposed as a result of their infighting. But most surprisingly, the "independent media" is desperate to cover their beloved elements of the establishment (read Nawaz Sharif). Anchors, columnists, spin doctors of PML-N and media in their attempts to cover this mess are creating stories at par with Alif Laila and Kissa Sote Jagte Ka . This Kissa Sote Jagte Ka has signs of their desperation and changing times. It all started with Supreme Court's hearing of petition against Nov. 3 actions of General Musharraf. Supreme Court, partly riding on vendetta and partly on the quest for limelight, in one of its observations on July 29th proclaimed that if Cromwell's skeleton can be hanged after his death, it is time to punish the violators of the constitution in Pakistan. (Below is an image of Express News' next day coverage of Daily Express). Next day, Supreme Court had a complete change of heart ruling they...
I know this one is going to be the most controversial of all my posts. Yet at the same time I deliberated the most while writing this. This post in many ways is crumbling of the myth of my childhood fascination and idol. If there was anything that I followed like mad in my childhood, it was my hero, my idol, the demigod of my childhood – Imran Khan. I would mimic everything that I found him doing. I would bowl for hours in the scotching heat of June and July in street and in the courtyard. I went ecstatic when I found that he too is a Fish-buff like me. His father, Niazi Uncle (someone I have learnt a lot from, and someone who has always been extremely kind to me), is a good friend of my father and a mentor to me. Through this connection I had the privilege of meeting my childhood idol a few times. When he initiated fund raising for cancer hospital, I was selling tickets at fuel stations, road sides, walkways and shops. When he formed Tehrik -e- Insaaf , I was one of its earliest m...
How often has the sky seen the coffin of a General be accompanied by 40 heads of states? How often have you seen a death being commemorated around the world? How often have you seen a funeral of a leader being completely taken over by the ordinary masses from the authorities and organizers? And how often have you seen a stateless hostage imprinting his significance and relevance throughout the region after being declared irrelevant by the Caesars and Czars of Washington and Israel.
His departure from Ramallah was the departure of a popular leader. The state ceremony on his departure from Paris was the departure befitting a revolutionary. His funeral in Cairo was the funeral of the biggest leader of the region. And his burial in Ramallah was the burial of a freedom fighter, peoples' leader (US needs democracy in the Middle East yet they were not willing to talk to the most popular leader of Palestine). In the words of an Indian columnist – The icon is dead but the legend lives o...
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