Greater role for women in decision-making

Last week, I was invited to speak at a seminar on ‘Exploring the Gender Friendliness in Democratic Institutions’ orgnaised by The South Asia Partnership…

No more escape routes

Pakistan’s military should review the Taliban rule in Afghanistan and how they were not always the kind of partners and proxies we had envisioned…

When are we going to open our eyes?

By Raza Rumi Recent reports quote General Kayani saying that Pakistan-US relations are ‘good’ and were ‘improving’. These remarks follow hectic parleys between various…

Video| On Kabir, Bulleh Shah and Lalon Shah

Not a great recording of my talk at Kuch Khaas, Islamabad. I read some of my papers – written by me on three of…

Pakistan’s foreign policy: Escaping India?

As Pakistan negotiates with a critical moment of its 64-year-old existence, there is nothing more urgent than to review its foreign policy goals and…

Disasters, dengue and local government

By Raza Rumi: In the past few weeks, the intractable crisis of governance has once again exposed the dysfunctional nature of the Pakistani state,…

Some sobering lessons

By Raza Rumi: Adecade after the ghastly attacks on the Twin Towers, the world has not changed. It is business as usual: imperial projects,…

Hoping for Shahbaz Taseer’s early Recovery

By Raza Rumi: I fervently hope that Shahbaz Taseer is back by the time these lines are published. However, the past few days have…

Towards a decentralised Pakistan

Without civil service reform, devolution of policy setting will be unachievable and the current reform may just not achieve its intended purposes On July…

Interview with Mohammad Hanif: “Love is not yet a taboo in Pakistan”

In a few days, Mohammad Hanif’s new novel will be available in Pakistan. Last week, I met him at his house in Karachi. The…

Myth and reality of extremism

Pakistan needs to undertake research on militancy for effective policymaking A recent attempt to understand militancy, “Poverty and Support for Militant Politics: Evidence from…

The peace process: The way forward

By Subhojit Goswami Kolkata, Aug 1: “A dialogue process is not about ‘who wins’ but about empathetic understanding”, came the strong words from Pritha…

The tragic story of Urdu

What makes translating Urdu literature a rare indulgence has also kept it closeted from global appreciation. Ralph Russell, the legendary British scholar of Urdu…

The lives of others

The first half of the 20th century witnessed a transformation in Urdu literature with the emergence of the short story as the choicest medium…

In Pakistan, drone attack victims pursue criminal charges against US government officials

While the US military continues its campaign in Afghanistan, in neighboring Pakistan, there is continuing opposition to the CIA’s drone strikes. Activists, lawyers and…

Karachi continues to bleed

Karachi needs democratisation of power and robust accountability mechanisms Karachi’s mayhem in the past few days has exposed, once again, the primary issue of…

What needs to be done in Karachi

By Raza Rumi The recent escalation of violence and senseless butchery in Karachi serves to remind us once again just how the state is withering away…

The most Dangerous Place for Journalists (a short interview)

I was interviewed in Karachi last month; here is the intro and the link- Recently, the journalist Saleem Shahzad has been killed in Pakistan…

Faiz Ahmad Faiz: 1974 Interview from Radio Pakistan Archives

Faiz Ahmad Faiz In Program Fun aur Funkar = Panalist Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, Hameed Akhtar, Qayyum Nazar, Sajjad Baqar Rizvi, Anees Nagi, Intizar…

Pakistan Floods: Making the same mistakes?

Rarely have countries been so incapable of responding to challenges, as is the case with Pakistan. Last year, the worst flood in our history…
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