Peace Watch

Punchline A Labour of Love By Z. G. Muhammad “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” This quote of Oprah Winfrey, a popular American talk show host resounded in my mind a couple of days back at a book release function. The two volume book “Aaeena Madaris” by Nisar Ahmed Bhat Trali’s a physician by profession convinced me that it is a passion that drives one to do something that otherwise seems unthinkable. … Read entire article »

Kashmir in the New Bonhomie Z. G. Muhammad It is now ‘surprise-diplomacy at play in India and Pakistan relations. The new-found bonhomie between Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif and his Indian Counterpart Narendra Modi is throwing one after another surprise. Ostensibly, the Friday surprise was the pleasant one. In a surprise move, Narendra Modi after his meeting with Afghanistan’s President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and addressing the Afghanistan Parliament stopped over at Lahore for a meeting with Nawaz Sharif. India … Read entire article »

Punchline Fears of Leaders? By Z. G. Muhammad ‘The solution of Kashmir Dispute is rooted in India and Pakistan friendship.’ For past sixty-five years, this euphemistic sentence has been so often dinned into our ears that it has become part of psyche people and leadership. And whenever, India and Pakistan dialogue started, it generated a lot of euphoria in our leadership, and from the dwarfish to the tallest, every leader has hailed it with high expectations. There is hardly … Read entire article »

There is a lot of excitement in Pakistan on the resumption of dialogue with New Delhi. The thaw in the frosty relationship between the two countries ten days after the “chance” meeting between Prime Minister, Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Sharif in Paris is seen as “great diplomatic feat” in Islamabad. Compared to Pakistan, the reaction in Indian media has been overall subdued. The triumphant mood in Islamabad perhaps is because the joint statement issued … Read entire article »

PUNCHLINE People in Dock Z. G. Muhammad The birth of new discourses, in a kind of political struggle we are involved in, is a natural corollary. During past sixty-seven years, discourses have been galore in our state. To invade popular narrative hegemonic discourses have been conjured to wilt the struggle of people. There also have been occasion, when people were blamed for failing the leadership in ‘translating their vision into reality’ and alternative narratives totally in conflict with … Read entire article »

Punchline Wounds Won’t Heal Z. G. Muhammad ‘Forgetting our recent agonizing past and getting embroiled in the “hegemonic state discourses” is our trait. As a nation we have the shortest memory’. Often recounting our predicament, out of disappointment and desperation many of us use this statement for self-flogging.’ That we are a nation with the shortest memory. Is this a terse formulation of truth? This question haunted my mind, when a promising computer engineering student Gowhar Dar 22, with … Read entire article »