Pak Affairs

Sharing an elevator the other day, a colleague suddenly turned to me and asked: “So, just how much longer does Pakistan have?” My interlocutor is not the first person to pose that question, but coming from a savvy veteran of the international arena, his out-of-the-blue query was jolting. Pakistan, after all, is not Laos or Sierra Leone.  It is a …

The shifting landscape has made Pakistan a hot favourite for the international media and the number of foreign correspondents here has doubled in a decade only. According to the Press Information Department, the number of residing journalists has risen from 130 in 2001 to 250 in 2012 while the visiting journalists are also nearly 400. In addition, a number of …

With the number of targeted assassinations of leading politicians expected to increase by the time of the elections in the second week of May, there are no signs that the government or the army are prepared for a deterioration of security. The sense of instability is not made any better by the worsening economic crisis. An average of 10 to …

It is time for leaders to speak directly to the next generation, bring them to the polls, and convince young people that they can provide them with the opportunity and security they need to build a better future for Pakistan. Following is the gist of a recent BBC survey which highlights that the youth of Pakistan prefers shariah to rule …

The other day, when I was driving on a road, I saw the words ‘banana hai ek nea Pakistan’ (We have to create a new Pakistan) on a wall. The other day, when I was driving on a road, I saw the words ‘banana hai ek nea Pakistan’ (We have to create a new Pakistan) on a wall. I moved …

At a time when the nation is inching towards the polls scheduled on May 11, a fresh wave of violence in Karachi, KPK and Balochistan has marred the political landscape of the moment. While these lines are being written, nearly 20 people have lost their lives and scores of others injured in attacks on election rallies in Khyber PK and …

Electioneering is on with all its fervour and so is the season of debate. Many a matter of fundamental significance, which usually doesn’t get proper heed, is up for threadbare analysis. One such theme is the implementation of Articles 62 and 63. The propensity to enter into nuanced discourse on a particular legal matter, right at the outset of an …

Deputy Chief of the European Union Election Observer Mission Jahangir’s World Times (JWT): The European Union Election Observer Mission has formally deployed long-term observers across Pakistan. Can you spell out details? Ms Hannah Roberts (HR): We have deployed 52 long-term observers in different parts of Pakistan. These people come from different EU member states, Norway and Canada. These countries have …

Election Commission of Pakistan has issued code of conduct for media for the forthcoming elections. Election Commission of Pakistan has issued code of conduct for media for the forthcoming elections. Election Commission has emphasized that all media should ensure that the people are properly informed about political parties’ candidates’ election campaign issues and voting processes. The complete text of Media …

Long marches have failed to unfold the untold and unseen in Pakistan. Things are same; poor governance, illiteracy, health issues, inflated prices, deteriorated law and order, human trafficking, rampant unemployment and acute energy crisis are still haunting the nation.   Prologue The honeyed words do not bring out substantial changes; there is Herculean effort behind everything existing and surviving at …