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Going round in circles PAKISTAN’S foreign policy, like that of any other developing state, has been responsive and reactive to the ever-changing regional and international environment. Not even the most powerful states with greater command of intelligence and military resources and structured...		The future is bleak PAKISTAN has been a prisoner of military elite’s bonapartist ambitions, says Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali, a former foreign minister of Pakistan (1993-96) in Benazir Bhutto’s second tenure as the prime minister. They have made Pakistan available for periodic tactical gains by the US, rather than building a long-term relationship with the West, he adds....
Man never learns AGAINST the backdrop of General Pervez Musharraf’s unflinching desire to cling on to two posts, that of chief of the army staff and the president of Pakistan simultaneously, let us discuss man’s inborn attachment to the treacherous ‘I’. It lures. It entices. It tempts. ‘I can’t be wrong.’ ‘I have my fingers on the pulse of time....		The syllabus row THE Northern Areas of Pakistan seem to be again simmering with socio-political tension in the wake of the recent syllabus row. The picturesque north of the country contains all the ingredients...
Ramazan on the web FOR millions of Muslims around the world the holy month of Ramazan signifies a total rescheduling of our daily routine as we start paying more attention to our spiritual endeavours. Ninth...		The future of medicine MEDICS have a name for the devastating injury that Christopher Reeve suffered during what was supposed to be just another day’s riding in May 1995. They call it the Hangman’s fracture, after those best known to have exploited its swift and almost guaranteed effect....
The city of Djinns I LAUGHED and laughed like a madman, full throated, mouth wide open till my face turned red and every muscle in my body ached as the five hundred-year-old massive Lodhi...		Empowering women IN a bewildering world scenario, dominated by terrorism and economic turmoil, a quiet revolution is taking place in Pakistan — and it is going virtually unnoticed. Women are determining the dynamics of this revolution, which is certain to influence several aspects of the country’s economy in the coming decades or years....
Respect for diversity “AS a Gujarati writer, my queries are addressed to the literary fraternity,” said a prominent writer. The queries he raised were bitter. And the literary fraternity he was addressing included writers...		The saint of saints ONCE in Lahore, it is difficult to miss the centuries old shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh. On the Ravi road, near the Bhatti Gate of the old walled city, people throng...
Hot Seat AN avid listener of music, veteran actor Shakeel claims his taste in music has remained constant over the years. Although he enjoys local contemporary singers, his marked preference is for ghazals...		Squash for nobody THE Professional Squash Association (PSA), the official body of the professional squash players, has for the second time ever, changed its scoring system; from 15 points to 11 and a tie breaker. And for the second time...
Ramazan’s cricket nights THE tall lanky left-armer is ready to bowl the last ball of the On-Street Night Cricket Tournament. Facing him is the gutsy righthander who doesn’t miss many. Five runs are required...		Cricket of the highest order PERHAPS it was the only fair result possible in the second Test between Australia and India. The hunger for victory was evident in equal measures on both sides, and since the...
And the devil takes the details AMERICA is facing an acute shortage of flu vaccine, announced George Bush in the presidential debate last week, as if to say it was no fault of his. He told over 60 million domestic viewers that the British company meant to have sent the shots had run into manufacturing problems. No further details. In fact, the vaccine is unsafe....		Bossed over A BOSS, male or female, is one of the harsh realities of life. Sure, some of us may be bosses too, but this piece is about the one you report to/succumb to the pressure of/have to humour (ie tolerate) and, most of the time have to tell exactly what s/he thinks of herself/himself (ie flatter)....
Teamtime mania FOR our people, teatime is supposed to be a break from their work, a few minutes of relaxation in their otherwise demanding routine. During this break, they’re often found munching on...		A cultural crisis WITH reference to the article A cultural crisis (September 26), Pakistan has very valuable cultural heritage in the field of architecture. The Shah Jahani Masjid and Makli graveyard in Thatta, Shalamar...
MOSAIC: Sucking the continent dry FARMERS in India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and northern China are setting themselves up for drought and famine in decades to come by pushing wells deep into the ground, emptying underground reserves at...		Newsmaker FOR 17 years he was the most wanted man in India. He had killed at least 120 people and 2,000 elephants, and had smuggled over 88,000 pounds of ivory and sandalwood worth millions. He roamed 3,600 square miles of raw jungle, and hunted down and killed police officers, foolhardy enough to try and nab him....