LONG MARCH
DEMOCRACY & NATIONAL SECURITY
Developed together by the institutions of the Pakistani state (including the military), national security has to be based on a common understanding about what the national interest of Pakistan actually is and how the national interest can be separated from the disparate political, economic and military interests that might exist. A consistent national security strategy and a common understanding about what is Pakistan’s national interest can only be developed by a process of informed analysis and debate thereof between the major institutions of the state, with the people of Pakistan an integral part of the process, not only involved and taken into confidence about it but with vital interest in the outcome.
March Madness in January
Considered the usual month for political madness in Pakistan, March came early this year, the turmoil complicated by election year factors. The obstacles of the Federal and Punjab Governments notwithstanding, the Tehreek-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) “Long March” came nowhere near the “million” mark claimed by Dr Qadri, People in small numbers kept joining those assembled in the kilometer plus D Square space in front of Parliament in Islamabad, by late afternoon Tuesday the calculation was closer to 100000 plus/minus.
March Madness in January
Considered the usual month for political madness in Pakistan, March came early this year, the turmoil complicated by election year factors. The obstacles of the Federal and Punjab Governments notwithstanding, the Tehreek-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) “Long March” came nowhere near the “million” mark claimed by Dr Qadri, People in small numbers kept joining those assembled in the kilometer plus D Square space in front of Parliament in Islamabad, by late afternoon Tuesday the calculation was closer to 100000 plus/minus.
Leader-Shedding, Not Loadshedding
A friend of mine who chooses to remain un-named forwarded an SMS message presently roaming the ether, to quote “A question in the minds of every Pakistani to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, is your task only to give sermons to the public? Why has judgment not come in any high profile cases? […]
Houses of Commerce and Industry
Every institution in this country seems to be self-destructing at an alarming rate. During 1989, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) enjoyed its most prestigious year since inception, by Mid-1990 FPCCI has sunk lower than it would care to admit. Essentially the same GROUP holds sway over the elected management, only a change of personalities having taken place, in actual fact a sea change of fortunes has occurred.