Opposition in the crosshairs
The fallout continues from Nawaz Sharif’s bitter speech at the multi-party conference in which he lashed out at state institutions. Now the authorities have decided to go all-out against the opposition leaders as they struggle to start agitation against the
Peace in Afghanistan
Prime Minister Imran Khan, in an opinion piece wrote for an international newspaper, had warned the world that a hasty international withdrawal from Afghanistan would be unwise and abandoning the Afghan peace process for any reason would be a great
India sponsors Islamophobia
Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the UN General Assembly, highlighting a range of issues from the Kashmir dispute and Islamophobia as he unleashed a scathing criticism of the Modi government. The pre-recorded speech delivered to the coronavirus crisis was not
Besieged Kashmiris
Pakistan Army arranged a visit for foreign diplomats and representatives of various countries to the volatile Line of Control (LoC). On the contrary, India has stopped independent observers and media from even stepping foot in the restive region. India has
Military-opposition meetings
The furore over the recent speech by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not settled down in which he strongly criticised state institutions. It has now been revealed that opposition leaders held a meeting with the military leadership a few
Karachi’s power crisis
There is no respite from the prolonged power outages faced by the people of Karachi. The city’s sole power distributor, K-Electric, has increased the number of load shedding hours and the situation has worsened. A public hearing by the power
A fifth province
The next biggest step of the government is to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as the fifth province of Pakistan, the first new one since independence. The matter has been discussed in the federal cabinet and has the full support of the military
Nawaz Sharif’s return
The highlight of the much-hyped All Parties Conference (APC) was the address by PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif. The former prime minister’s speech was highly anticipated as he broke months of silence ever since he left for London on the pretext
Pakistan Democratic Movement
In a bid to overthrow the incumbent government, the much-hyped PPP-hosted multiparty conference has formed a new forum, named Pakistan Democratic Movement, which will lead and guide nationwide protests against the government, dubbed as anti-public and anti-nation, in a disciplined
Opposition’s APC
The opposition is finally having the long-delayed All Parties Conference (APC) in Islamabad to find a future course of action against the government. Unlike previous such gatherings, this will also be a rather futile exercise and unlikely to have any
India’s assertions
India has still not passed over the new political map issued by Pakistan last month which shows Kashmir as an integral part of the country. Despite its internal challenges particularly a burgeoning coronavirus crisis, India has continued its broadsides and
COVID-19 cases in schools
It has been just a couple of days since educational institutes reopened across the country and we have seen an uptick in the number of coronavirus cases. We need to realise that pandemic has not yet ended but will instead
FATF bills passed
The parliament has finally passed three crucial bills related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) regarding terror financing and money laundering. This comes amid a looming deadline before the global body reviews Pakistan’s progress on the action plan. It
Public hangings and castration
After days of silence on the gang rape of a woman on the Lahore motorway, Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested public hanging and chemical castration for rapists to curb sexual violence. This has ignited a debate on what constitutes effective
Strengthening democracy
The International Day of Democracy is been observed with the purpose of promoting and upholding the principles of democracy and human rights. Today the world is facing major social, political and legal challenges for which democracy is essential to address
Illegal constructions
Another residential building has collapsed in Karachi, this time in Lyari. Two people were killed and 10 others were injured in the incident. This is the second building to have collapsed in the metropolis within a week and the fourth
Bahrain recognises Israel
After the United Arab Emirates, another Gulf Arab nation has decided to establish bilateral relations with Israel. US President Trump announced that Bahrain, a tiny nation in the Middle East, will also follow suit in establishing relations with Israel. The
Afghanistan’s future
After immense delay, the long-awaited intra-Afghan talks between the Afghan government and Taliban are set to commence in Doha. Both sides have overcome numerous hurdles and years of animosity to finally arrive at the negotiating table and discuss their nation’s
Victimizing women
There have been innumerable cases of violence against women regularly. However, the incident on the Lahore motorway has shaken our conscience and has given a reckoning of the moral decay that has permeated our society. The horrific incident occurred on
Sindh floods
The recent monsoon rainfall and torrential downpours have not only affected Karachi but various other parts of the country which have unfortunately received similar attention. The Sindh government has declared 20 districts as calamity-hit and the ensuing floods have affected
Controversy over Karachi package
There has already been controversy over the multi-billion Karachi Transformation Plan relief package announced by the prime minister last weekend. Political parties and governments have sparred over who will foot the chunk of the resources pledged while residents wonder whether
No honour in killing
The Supreme Court has observed that killing of women in the name of ‘honour’ has never an honourable practice and such murders should not be termed as ‘honour killings’. The remarks of the apex court show such practice and attitudes
Sexual abuse of Children
In a disturbing development, the torched body of a minor girl was recovered from Karachi’s Old Sabzi Mandi area, two days after she was reported to have gone missing. The law enforcement agencies reported that the five-year-old victim had been
Karachi Package
Prime Minister Imran Khan has unveiled a historic Rs1.1 trillion package for Karachi, considered to be the largest in history. The prime minister vowed that Karachi will not be left behind and he has now delivered with the announcement of
Rising Islamophobia in Europe
There has been an increase in the number of Islamophobic and xenophobic cases around the world particularly Europe. Many countries under the garb of freedom of speech and expression have hurt the religious sentiments of over a billion Muslims and
Negating Palestinian cause
The stage is being prepared for the historic signing of an agreement to establish bilateral relations between UAE and Israel. Donald Trump wants to hold the ceremony in Washington before the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to show it as
Economy on track
Amid the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic and an economic crisis, there was some welcoming news that the Pakistan Stock Exchange has been declared as the best performing market in Asia and the fourth-best in the world. This is
Pandemic isn’t over
Wuhan, the Ground Zero for the coronavirus pandemic, has reopened all schools for the first time in seven months. The World Health Organisation (WHO) chief warned that though the global agency wants to see children returning to schools and people
DHA protestors
During the recent torrential rains in Karachi, the upscale neigbourhoods of DHA and Clifton have been one of the worst affected. The elite residents have no recourse now except to get out of their water-logged homes and protest for their
UAE ends Israeli boycott
The UAE and Israel are establishing bilateral relations among themselves at a galloping pace, but this has also divided the Muslim world and created a new rift. The UAE has filed a complaint in the UN Security Council accusing Turkey