The Cult of the Celebrity-Politician: Why Charisma is South Asia’s Greatest Democratic Threat
South Asia’s democracies are being hollowed out by the cult of celebrity-politicians. Charisma is eclipsing competence, leaving institutions weakened.
Pakistani Nationalism: Of Dreams and Delusions
Decades after the Lahore Resolution, the nation celebrates \”Pakistan Day\” with much fanfare and a kind of nationalism that is made up of a conglomerate of various delusions and desires.
Of Woes and Wishes: Pakistan
Pakistan has rarely been free of the dread of an impending crisis, as history demonstrates. The nation\’s quest for survival has been fascinating and perilous since its inception. But, it must tenaciously hold onto the hope that gave it birth.
IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF PAKISTAN : STRUGGLE, SACRIFICE & STATECRAFT
From every pinch of history to present day challenges, Pakistan Day calls for revisiting and re-establishing the ideologues and visions that guided the founding fathers to its demand and creation. March 23rd is a resolve to stand by those commitments and nurture them each day.
The Relevance of Iqbal
Iqbal was a philosopher who focused both on the individual and the collective/nation. But the qualities Iqbal ascribed to that ideal man were also transferrable and recommended on a collective and national level.
Five Years to Radd-ul-Fasaad – Analyzing Threats and Counter-Threat Measures
Five years after Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad in Pakistan, it remains to be seen how productive counter-extremism efforts have been. At the forefront of narrative and ideological battles, how much has the state of Pakistan been able to achieve?
Allama Mohammed Iqbal and the Idea of Sovereign State
Islam to Iqbal was a philosophical ethos, more than a mere religion confined to the individual sphere. Thus, he spoke both in terms of the individual and the collective – framed in the concept of the Ummah.