Rickshaw birth Harris Khalique We are told by historians, the likes of Dr Mubarak Ali apart, that there were many benevolent, generous and sagacious kings who ruled different parts of the world. Under their rule, the subjects lived in complete peace, harmony and some of them in abundance. We are told that they invested in the welfare of their people. Marcus Aurelius of Rome, Charlemagne of France, Nausherwan of Iran, Peter the Great of Russia, Haroon and Mamoon Rasheed of the Arab-Muslim Empire with its capital in Baghdad, and Ashok and Akbar of India are remembered for their decisions and … Continue reading Side-effect

Reality check Shafqat Mahmood The short answer would be yes but there is still some ways to go. The hot war, if it can be called as such, has had some resounding successes. It is the ideological battle that promises to be a long struggle. There is little doubt that military operations in Swat, Waziristan and now Bajaur have severely damaged the terrorist infrastructure. The militants’ leadership is on the run and there are credible reports that its command and control ability has suffered considerably. This does not mean it is over. Most of the militants have melted into other … Continue reading Are the militants losing?

Islamabad diary Ayaz Amir As I have had occasion to mention before, Islamabad since its birth has been a city dedicated to nothing so much as intrigue and conspiracy. It has always been a dead city. But without the grist to its mills provided by conspiracy it would be deader still. And March, no doubt because of the influence of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar — the one Shakespearean play most educated Pakistanis seem to have read — has a strange influence on the Pakistani mood. Ever since I entered the hallowed portals of journalism — and this was a good thirty … Continue reading Star-gazing — for what it is worth

Posted by Amber Rahim Shamsi Dawn.com Rioting broke out between rival parties Biryani Ittehad-Sindhi [BI(S)] group and Pakistan Pulao Party (PPP) in Karachi’s Boating Basin locality on Wednesday night, injuring several. The injured  were shifted to the Beemar hospital in Clifton and are being treated for burns and bruises caused by flying masala, hot chicken stock, and handis. Police officials say they have arrested 14 members of both parties, eight from the PPP and six from the BI(S). Witnesses say that at 9:00 p.m. outside the Biryani Bistro, 10 masked men arrived with hot thermoses of yakhni and bags of … Continue reading The vice of rice

By Kuldip Nayar Dawn.com Indians and Pakistanis are the best of friends when they are not talking at each other. –Photo by AP It is unfortunate that Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor hijacked a successful trip by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Riyadh. Tharoor’s remark that Saudi Arabia could be an interlocutor for talks between New Delhi and Islamabad was embarrassing. Tharoor may be indiscreet but I suspect that somehow, he got the impression that the prime minister would go along with him. True, an interlocutor is not a mediator. But he participates in talks. Tharoor’s observation … Continue reading Atmosphere of mistrust

How many of you watched the footage of criminal suspects in Chiniot being tortured by the police? Many, I hope, because if you didn’t, that’s a whole lot of air time going to waste. I caught the footage on a local news television channel late Monday night. I watched it again on Tuesday morning when I woke up, and then again the same night before I slept. On Wednesday, I didn’t watch television. In the race to break news and be the first to broadcast a report, news networks are going overboard. This is an understatement when one is talking … Continue reading Operation Desensitise Pakistan