Looking for a new coach
As Waqar Younis’s tenure as Pakistan cricket coach draws to a close, questions inevitably arise about his likely replacement. With the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) forming a committee to select the new coach, there have been mixed signals from its members when it comes to the question of appointing a Pakistani or a foreigner to the job. Opinions may vary regarding whether to go for a local or a foreign coach, but there is little doubt, that a Pakistani in the job will inevitably be drawn into the domestic politics of the country’s cricketing hierarchy, and as often happens, may ...
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HRK: The politics of pretty faces
The media coverage of newly appointed Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s Indian tour is proving to be equally offensive either side of the border. Given Khar’s youth and her inexperience, there were already plenty of ‘ifs and buts’ floating among Pakistanis regarding her capabilities with respect to her new role, but it appears the media’s fascination with her wardrobe has trounced all performance related concerns. Indian electronic and print media has recently been reported calling the minister everything from “model-like” (Navbharat Times) and “Pakistan’s Best Face” (Times of India) extending to insinuations about her being “drool worthy” as well ...
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The bag that worked
Not surprisingly, Hina Rabbani Khar has captured the popular imagination. The bag, the shades, the pearls and the chiffon. No news article about the Pak-India dialogue was complete without a reference to all of them. And while every major news outlet did precisely that on Wednesday, Thursday brought the bashing. Why is the media fixated by the bling, and not the brawn, they asked? Khar-the-celebrity overshadowed Khar-the-politician, they said. The media should differentiate between stars and politicians, they recommended. Why the holier-than-thou attitude, I ask? Besides the exchange of most-wanted terror lists and general accusations, no major breakthrough had been made ...
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Foreign aid: Shahbaz backtracks on a bold move
Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif jumped on the populist pedestal and declared with much fanfare that the Government of Punjab would reject foreign aid to strengthen the nation’s sovereignty. In a poll on The Express Tribune website 74 per cent of the respondents voted in favour of the proposition. Apparently there are votes to gain by taking a tough line, and breaking the begging bowl forever. Imran Khan is another politician who has repeatedly stated that our dependence on foreign, particularly American aid has forced us to cede our sovereignty. Pakistan should reject American aid to regain our honour. If only it was that simple. Two ...
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Why the US dollar fell during current global crises
An interesting aspect of the Libyan, Tunisian and Japanese crises was that the US dollar fell against other major currencies, by a lot. Normally, in times of crises, investors tend to move towards the dollar. It is viewed as a safe haven. However, during the current crises, the dollar fell to historic lows against the yen, before the massive international central-bank intervention reversed the fall (now, the financial market will remain uncertain in the next two years. You can bet on that). Even the Euro strengthened against the dollar and Europe is considered to be in a messy situation that needs ...
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The downfall of Pakistani cinema
Quite often I have noticed veteran directors, producers and actors from our local film industry on television screens complaining that Pakistani cinemas are greatly occupied with foreign films, further alleging that this has denied their own films’ access to local audiences. I personally feel that their attitude does not reflect a positive approach towards the issue of our diminishing film industry. By vehemently pressing for a ban on the screening of foreign films in Pakistani cinemas, they, rather than trying to raise their bars in terms of quality, are actually conceding to the fact that their films cannot compete on an ...
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50 reasons Pakistan needs Musharraf
Prime Minister Gilani said at the National Assembly session to leave former president Pervez Musharraf to himself and let him exercise his right to a political career in Pakistan. President Zardari said that if Musharraf wants to return, he will have to cross the same bumpy road as him to get to the presidency or premiership. Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhry Shujaat and the remaining politicians, including religious parties, want him tried for treason, Dr Aafia’s case and introducing extremism in the country. Since the launch of his party on October 1, Musharraf has been on a political offensive. He has talked ...
Read Full PostIt’s high time India made an effort
We have fought numerous wars, we have exchanged many dead, we have brought enough misery upon our lives and continue to live close to the poverty line, only to maintain an aggressive yet defensive posture. We never let a chance go by where we are leveling blames on each other, and we make sure that any talk towards peace must fail miserably. Sadly, this time around it was first Pillai and then Qureshi’s fault! Pakistan has to realize it’s not as big as India and must look more towards its own economic standing, before eyeing a stronger, stable economy, and India ...
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