As the dust settles, Imran Khan has emerged the undisputed winner of the 2011 Jalsa Wars. Even if you control for the standard variables such as hired bodies and curious onlookers (certain to be much higher in this case), Imran’s crowd was impressive. On the other hand, Altaf’s late entry was little more than a [...]
SSP and JI flags flying at PTI dharna earlier this year As N-league’s innings in the 2011 Jalsa Wars have ended, we prepare to meet the challenger. To learn more about Imran’s strategy, I turned to PTI HQ, also known as Facebook. The official Facebook page for Hakumat Hatao Mulk Bachao Jalsa in Lahore describes [...]
In a curious attempt to appeal to national sentiments, Shahbaz Sharif claims that PML-N’s jalsa is a “war to save the country” from the present government which has made Pakistan into a beggar state “despite having nuclear weapons”. This begs the question, how do nuclear weapons make money? I suppose one answer would be to [...]
In 2007, Gen Pervez Musharraf decided the law was inconvenient to his authoritarian whims, so he infamously attacked the judiciary, suspending and detaining the Chief Justice. The dictator’s action was seen by all as a bald faced attempt to crush dissent and rule with an iron fist. Rather than solidify his regime, though, his overreach [...]
Pakistan is under attack from within. An estimated 35,000 Pakistanis have been killed in extremist violence since 2001. Bombings are a constant threat and journalists, politicians and activists, along with anyone who speaks out against intolerance, risks their lives. Twenty-five-year-old activist Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi has dedicated his life to challenging the complex religious, economic [...]
There seem to be two common ideas that PTI walas are pushing in their support for their Kapataan: One is that Pakistan needs Dignity, Integrity and Self Respect. The other is that PTI has achieved a sweeping popularity, or to use the unfortunate choice of metaphor of PTI General Secretary Arif Aliv, a ‘tsunami’. The [...]
An era has ended. Begum Nusrat Bhutto passed away on October 23rd in Dubai. We have lost a true icon – this was a woman of honor, an elegant and fearless woman who exemplified bravery following the horrific murder of her husband, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She was his stunning wife of Iranian heritage, constantly [...]
Afghan president Hamid Karzai said that, in a Pak-US war, Afghanistan would side with Pakistan. His statement has found a predictable home among the other hollow rhetoric of media headlines, but we would be wise not to bet too much on our Western neighbors. In September, the Indian media reported that Karzai briefed Manmohan Singh [...]
Dear Mosharraf sahib, On Wednesday, you wrote on Twitter that, “$127 million would have really transformed the Punjab. A whole dollar & forty one cents for each of its 90 million residents.” I agree that that giving 90 million people $1.40 each is not going to change anything. I am confused as to why you [...]
In his attempts to return to Pakistan without handcuffs, Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf has been looking at Imran Khan as a possible partner. The Nation reported earlier this month that the former dictator told an audience at LUMS that “APML could stand by PTI if Imran Khan would take up the challenge of doing away [...]