Remembrance, Restoration, Renewal: Reflections around a Resolution
To be in Lahore in March evoked ruminations about the related commonalities and contrasts between 1940 and 2023. For instance:
The long road to Pakistan
The British made their first connection with India through the East India Company (EIC), which had been established...
Our Quaid, his Pakistan
If we can provide adequate representation to the marginalised, strengthen the political process, enhance and safeguard civil...
An economy for Pakistan
Being both the nation’s founder and a people’s man, the Quaid-i-Azam was greatly concerned for the man on the street
The once and future republic
The very genesis of Pakistan was rooted in a constitutional promise: if there is a minar that stands in Iqbal Park today, it as...
Time to revisit Jinnah and the issue of language
FOR a leader who overcame formidable opposition to the creation of Pakistan from several adversaries — the Indian...
The embodiment of integrity, incorruptibility and morality
WILLIAM Shakespeare wrote in Richard II that the “purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation; that...
The Quaid was the ultimate democrat
SHOULD people be changed to suit the system, or should the system be reformed to suit the people? The debate in...
Single-minded pursuit of politics of public service
MANY believe that the politics of public service practised by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah is perhaps impossible...
75 YEARS OF PAKISTAN 1947 — 2022
A new optimism is apparent at the shrine of Chanan Pir, located approximately 50 kilometres outside Bahawalpur. The mood at the
The Forever Shining Idea Of Pakistan
Shuja Nawaz asserts that repeated crises have led to a derailing of our constitutional order. Yet, a transformation driven by the
The Importance Of Being Mr Jinnah
Jinnah’s expansive humanism is in stark contrast with the disregard for freedom of religious conscience in the country he created.
The Name — Not The Philosophy — Lives On
Pakistan’s ideological journey has reshaped the great poet philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal into a patron of its hardening...
The Man Jinnah Called His Right Arm
Liaquat Ali Khan, one of the heroes of the Pakistan Movement, was the builder of the nation in its nascent years. ...
The Indian Muslim Dilemma
The post-1947 dilemmas present in the minds of India’s Muslims today and ironically wonders as to what Jinnah, Gandhi and Nehru...
The Perils Of Rejecting History
Pakistan’s failure to formulate a vision or allocate resources to the writing of history since 1947 will have catastrophic...
Caught Between The State And Religion
The state has progressively given way to right-wing obscurantists in a desperate bid to retain control. Makhdoom Ali Khan stresses
A resounding ‘no’ To Theocracy
Although Jinnah declared that Pakistan would not be a theocracy, but subsequent govts failed to develop a national narrative.
Winning Over The Princely States
Yaqoob Khan Bhangash narrates the stories behind the accession, in the months following Independence, of the major Princely States
Short-changing Provincial Autonomy
The centralisation of power and the denial of provincial autonomy resulted in the secession of the eastern wing. Despite the...
The Continuing Hazards Of Judicial Imbalance
Judicial overreach is no less dangerous than executive control of the judiciary. Courts achieve little when they try to do much.
A Confluence Of Challenges
Maleeha Lodhi calls for governance that goes well beyond power politics. Perhaps the emergence of new power structures and an...
The Facade Of True Representation
To move towards a functioning democracy, Pakistan’s power elites will have to acknowledge the primacy of Parliament and respect
The Unbearable Politics Of Stasis
Dynastic politics and factionalism reflect a worsening dynamic within Pakistani political parties but Dr Shuja Mahesar believes...
Cult Of Charisma
How Pakistani leaders arise from the crucible of economic change. They may not command an electoral majority but every one of them
Chronicle Of A Resilient Democracy
Pakistan’s history has been marked by cycles of dictatorship followed by limited democracy. The people have indicated time...
An Unequal Balance Of Power
Jinnah stressed the need for civilian supremacy and instructed the military to stay true to the constitution and the government.
Security State And Its Dilemmas
It is to be hoped that there will never be a repeat of such operations as Gibraltar, Chengiz Khan, Fair Play and others.
What Went Wrong In 1971?
Shuja Nawaz traces the events and the missteps that led to the breakup of United Pakistan. Could the loss of Pakistan’s eastern...
A Misrepresented Tragedy
Five decades on, Javed Jabbar highlights reasons why the loss of East Pakistan in 1971 is still a subject of considerable debate.
Stealth, conviction and the bomb
Just how did Pakistan, a country with so few resources and a dysfunctional state apparatus, manage to bypass Western intelligence
AN ABJECT CONFUSION IN SLOGANEERING
The All-India Muslim League, while electioneering in Muslim-majority areas, promised that religion would play a central role in
WHY HAVE THE WORKERS FAILED TO UNITE?
Pakistan’s trade unions remain relevant to our future, especially as times get tougher. But their failure to unite reflects poorly
THE SLOW DEATH OF CRITICAL THINKING
Despite a rapid increase in the number of universities, the quality of Pakistan’s intellectual output has largely remained dismal
A slippery slope getting greasier by the day
While concerted attempts are being made to render Pakistani society homogenous, the threads that bind us together are fraying...
Our Cities Unfit To Absorb Migrants
Dr Navaid Hamid argues that although Pakistan’s urban population has spiralled, governments have failed to address the civic...
THE NOSTALGIC GOLDEN YEARS OF TELEVISION
The characters and drama serials broadcast on PTV are now part of our national lore.
High Time To Live In The Modern World
A once thriving industrial sector was thrown off track by Bhutto’s nationalisation policies. Dr Ishrat Hussain asserts that only
Stellar successes and broken dreams
Censorship, bans and limited support continue to rob filmmakers of the opportunity to truly realise their potential.
A Silver Lining In Key Indicators?
Dr Hafeez Pasha believes that Pakistan witnessed strong economic growth earlier but failed to address the larger question of...
THE UNSTOPPABLE RISE OF TROLL FARMS
Our political parties love to champion free speech as long as they are in the opposition. When in power, however, each of the...
MAINTAINING THE LITERARY MOMENTUM
A proliferation of genres has overtaken Pakistan’s English-language literature. ANUM SHAHARYAR explores its progress and concludes
Trapped In A Jihadist Quicksand
Born on the battlefields of Afghanistan during the Soviet jihad, Zahid Hussain explains how the modern Pakistani militant, once...
WHO IS AFRAID OF Independent MEDIA?
National media, including print, electronic and digital, is a divided house beset with all kinds of challenges.
URDU WRITING HAS AN IDENTITY OF ITS OWN
Over the years, Pakistani Urdu literature has developed differently from its Indian counterpart and reflects ideological battles
Conjoined In A Troubled Region
Pak-Afghan ties were frosty in 1947, hostile during the pendency of the Afghan-sponsored Pashtunistan project, and complicated
FOUNDING MOTHERS TO AURAT MARCH
The struggle for equality in the battle for women’s rights persists today against entrenched mindsets. From the violent street...
A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE FOR TEAM PAKISTAN
The overall decline in sport in Pakistan has been as rapid and spectacular as success had once been, laments former national...
A Tale Of Bad Blood And Baby Steps
Pakistan and India have had a toxic relationship since Partition. Is there hope for a rapprochement between the two bitter rivals
ACTIVISM UNDER FIRE
Civil society organisations have raised their voices in favour of minorities, women, workers, and the protection of community...
THE SAD STORY OF THE REJECTION OF SCIENCE
There is little appreciation in Pakistan for the centrality of science in every modern economic pursuit.
Between Ambition And Constraints
Pakistan’s foreign policy has been underpinned by security concerns rooted in its own traumas. It is largely independent...
THE ONGOING CHALLENGE OF RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
After the denial of rights in the eastern wing of Pakistan, it was the turn of women and minorities during Ziaul Haq’s military...
A FAILURE TO SECURE INCLUSIVE GROWTH
The benefits of Pakistan’s economic growth have accrued mainly to powerful elites patronised by the state, preventing any broad
A PERSPECTIVE ON PAKISTANI ARCHITECTURE
Pakistan’s built spaces have transformed over the years to better reflect the aspirations of its upwardly-mobile social classes.
AMBIGUITIES IN POPULATION CONTROL
After witnessing one of history’s largest migrations, Pakistan’s population grew from 30m in 1951 to 220m in 2022. A lack of...
A ROBUST CULTURAL MOSAIC
An assortment of cultural interventions by the state, the flag-bearers of religion, and modernist forces have enabled Pakistani...
NO PROSPECTS WITHOUT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Will the economy grow in the absence of adequate allocations for health and education? Should we allow the ruling elite to indulge
OUR EXTRAORDINARY MUSIC MAKERS
ARSHAD MAHMOOD discusses the evolution of Pakistani music over seven decades and how, following the migration of classical...
Remodelling The Red-tape Brigade
Transforming an antiquated and complacent bureaucracy into a force capable of excellence in service delivery will not be an easy
THE STORY OF PAKISTAN’S NATIONAL ANTHEM
ARSHAD MAHMOOD relates the story of how a rousing piece of music became an exquisite musical gem.
1940 had a global context
Cataclysmic events as well as multiple and diverse factors on a global scale shaped the world in which the struggle for Pakistan.
Changing, evolving perceptions
Even those who opposed the idea of attaining independence later became its biggest supporters which underlines...
Beyond paying lip service
Those who have wielded power in the country over the years have often overlooked the requirements of an Islamic state.
Brush strokes of history
Fertile imagination has prevailed on both sides of the divide when it comes to dealing with matters related to partition.
The resolution and the making of Pakistan
The outline that the Lahore Resolution had drawn in the shape of geographical zones and majority areas got a concrete shape later
An ‘extremist’ par excellence
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had a progressive, visionary streak of extremism rooted in non-violence, civility and respect...
Leadership, acumen and struggle
Luckily for the Muslims of the subcontinent, the Indian National Congress did not have a Jinnah in its ranks. As has been famously
A portrait the Quaid may not much like
Jinnah’s appeal is so universal that everyone claims to own him, and, on the basis of this ‘ownership’, insists on interpreting...
The man who ‘shaped events’
In dealing with his political adversaries, Jinnah used one of his major weapons with precision — logic.
The ultimate leadership material
Those striving to make it big in the corporate sector would do well to at least try to follow the success template that the...
Independence and Inter-Dependence
Instead of focussing disproportionately on the bad, there is a need to use Independence Day as illumination for the good
The dream of parliamentary sovereignty
The Independence Day is an occasion for introspection, and to look back with the intention of charting a better course for the
Idea of absolute independence
The demands of statecraft mean nation-states, including the superpowers, generally enjoy only relative independence; not absolute.
Treasures of Pakistan
Counted among the youngest countries in the world, Pakistan produces diversified talent catering to the global demand of
Setting sail at sunset
Pakistan started its journey when the British Empire was already on a slide and India was able to flex its economic muscles freely
A grand dialogue?
IN just two sentences, the Quaid-i-Azam defined the role of the armed forces and determined the texture of civil-military
The Reality versus Theory
In practical terms, reality comes before theory, for a theory seeks to ‘explain’ what already exists. Like gravity which existed
Federalism on trial
The federating units of might have raised a voice if they knew that the principles cited in the Pakistan Resolution were not
The debate goes on
The fact that the League’s Central Working Committee in April 1946 amended the Pakistan Resolution and replaced the word ‘states’
The majority issue
Having suffered at the hands of the Hindu majority, politics in Pakistan has a constant majority-versus-minority streak.
The key element of independence
Our own history stands testimony to the fact that economic independence is what matters above every other aspect of sovereignty.
Saving the Quaid
The core of Jinnah’s personality needs to be retrieved and protected in the face of multiple threats emerging from the diverse
Time to idealise Jinnah’s Pakistan
The Quaid’s relevance in Pakistan has remained intact, but we have failed to follow his principles, ideals and vision which he set
The telegram that remained unanswered
THE Quaid-i-Azam was an ardent supporter of a Palestinian state. When Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben...
The most critical player on the Indian chessboard
SOME 16 months before Pakistan came into being, the Time magazine ran a cover story on India — more specifically ...
A prototype of a true leader
Any discussion about Jinnah generally revolves around his role as a politician. The fact is that there was much in his personality
Conceptual confusion
HOPE constitutes a vital factor in mobilising people for a cause. It becomes all the more relevant when there is...
Into the future via the past
There is enough evidence in history to believe that Pakistan will continue to move forward.
Keeping pace with a global phenomenon
Pakistan is not alone as a country drifting away from the vision of its founding fathers.
Democratic dynasties
Political parties demand democracy but do not practise it themselves.
The spillover effect of feudal mindset
Like the losers adopt the traits of the victors, society at large seems to have adopted the attitude of the landed gentry.
Partition’s unfinished agenda
While Pakistan terms Kashmir its lifeline, India considers it an in integral part. The struggle continues.
Overcoming the impossible
From being the best ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity to the founder of an independent state, Jinnah remained an outstanding leader
Quaid’s ideals ignored in all walks of life
RECORD of the past few decades shows that with the change of the government, the situation in the Islamic Republic...
Jinnah: the man, the myth and the vision
MOHAMMAD Ali Jinnah was the first political leader to protest against the Salt Tax, calling it “iniquitous, ...
Passing the torch
“…The Mussalmans of India are a Nation…the problem in India is not of an inter-communal character, but...
Jinnah and violence
THE coupling of the Quaid’s name with a malevolent noun is done deliberately – to jar the senses like a mild...
Jinnah’s forgotten precept
ACCORDING to Hector Bolitho, one of Jinnah’s biographers, scrupulousness and uprightness were few of the several...
The final storm of conquest
IN the overall context of Indian independence movement, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s successful espousal of...
Jinnah firmly believed in equality for all
“Remember we are building up a state which is going to play its full part in the destinies of the whole Islamic...
One way or the other, the future is digital
Significant policy interventions and investments may strengthen the technological ecosystem and help it move forward.
Going round and round and round
IF the mass acceptance of Imran Khan was ever in doubt, the issue should have been settled on the evening of July ...
Wanted: a democratic political party
While democracy is an integral component of statecraft, it is nowhere to be found within political parties.
The unfinished agenda
AT the time of partition of the Indian sub-continent in August 1947, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatama...
In search of novelty
THE election 2018 slogan of creating a ‘Naya’ (new) Pakistan was clearly a sincerely meant theme to express ...
Nationhood re-defined post-Balakot
INDIAN military misadventures in February 2019 and after created a premise for Pakistani polity.
The territorial dimension of the Lahore Resolution
The territory of Pakistan exudes subtle as well as explicit diversity.
The importance of retrospection
THERE are three days that the Pakistani nation celebrates every year as national holidays — Independence Day on...
The challenge of national integration
The challenge of national integration in Pakistan is as old as the history of this country.