General Pervez Musharraf is essentially day-dreaming when he says he’d be back in Pakistan before the 2013 elections. Another figment of his fantasy is the claim to joining active politics to “set things right” in the country hurtling from one crisis to another. Read more

The decision to rename a prominent square in Lahore after Shaheed Bhagat Singh could go a long way in focusing on the joint history of India and Pakistan in the struggle for freedom from the British rule. I have always held that relations between our two countries cannot be repaired without an honest recollection of history, at the core of which should be an objective appraisal of our respective national icons. Read more

It’s encouraging that India and Pakistan continue to talk. But while they engage, they’d have to be careful about each other’s sensitivities on issues influencing popular support for peace between the two sub-continental rivals. Read more

What should be India’s response to Pakistan Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani’s statement emphasizing peaceful coexistence and dialogue for resolution of outstanding issues between our two countries? Read more

Asif Ali Zardari lacks Benazir Buttoo’s erudition and charisma. He cannot boast even a fraction of her mass support. Read more

A political maelstrom has engulfed Pakistan. The unpopular PPP-led regime may survive under a new leader. But Yusuf Raza Gilani’s days as prime minister appear numbered after he was served notice for being in contempt of the Supreme Court. Read more

Comparisons are odious. But this one seems irresistible without meaning to equate parliamentary democracy in India and Pakistan. Read more

Pakistan is a land of conspiracies— imaginary and real. Much of what’s retailed by word of mouth or friendly media persons shows civilian rulers in poor light. The underlying message in the so-called “memogate” is that the men in Khaki could do no wrong, that they are the best defenders of Pakistan’s national interest. Read more

Can’t really say how long the bonhomie would last. But a good start has been made by India and Pakistan at Maldives. At the crux of the renewed hope is the most favoured nation (MFN) status Islamabad has belated granted to New Delhi to promote trade between the two neighbours. Read more

Have the US-Pak tensions reached a breaking point over the latter’s refusal to go after the Haqqani group based in North Waziristan and posing a serious challenge to peace in Afghanistan? The American’s feel the group was a “veritable arm” of the ISI that’s long been notorious for nurturing such elements as Pakistan’s security assets. Read more