THE GORA SYNDROME
“And how does one keep looking so good when one is so busy?”, this being Information Minister Sherry Rehman’s opening line to Sarah Palin, a politician with no real credentials, and now the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate. If this wasn’t bad enough, President Zardari shook her hand and opened with, “You’re gorgeous. Now I know why...
THE LITMUS TEST
Every once in a while armchair columnists like myself get the urge to actually go out there and get our hands dirty to discover the quantitative truth – the tangible. Since 1998 one of the things we’ve been hearing about is how the image of Pakistan has improved drastically and now we’re held in high...
REALITY CHECK
President Bush came and President Bush left. It was a “pleasant” trip with some good photo opportunities, some shoulder touching, a joint press conference, and a little public disagreement on the definition of democracy. It was a congenial visit in diplomatic-speak, but nothing ground breaking came out of it, nor should anything ground-breaking been expected. ...
THE ACCIDENTAL SHOOTER
President George Bush’s “Texas Posse” Administration set some new lows over the weekend when Vice President Dick Cheney “accidentally” shot his hunting companion Harry Whittington, on a quail hunting trip. Mr. Whittington, 78, a lawyer to boot, was shot in the face, neck, and chest by Mr. Cheney’s 28 gauge shell. The “spin” that this...
THE BOOMERANG EFFECT
I can just see it. George Bush sitting with U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice and some State Department bigwigs, with his usual vacuous look, and asking, “I thought they wanted democracy in the Middle East – how the hell did Hamas win the elections?” And here lies the American dilemma. On one hand they...
THE POWER OF THE JUDICIARY
Lewis “Scooter” Libby Jr was indicted on October 28th on a total of five counts. One count of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury, and two counts of making false statements. For those of our readers who don’t know Mr. Libby, he served as Chief of Staff and advisor for national security to US...
THE WRITING ON THE WALL
While General Musharraf tours the United States to improve Pakistan’s image, shore up foreign investment for Pakistan, and to hold important meetings with all and sundry; all is not well on the home front. Pakistan’s largest and only metropolitan city Karachi, which is also its’ commercial, financial, and industrial center, came to look like a...
NOT IN MY BACK YARD (NIMBY)
Imagine the Pakistani Consulate in New York requests the State Department to allocate it an amenity plot which is meant to be a park in a prime residential and commercial area. The State Department sends the request to Mayor Bloomberg’s office in New York. I hope you can guess the outcome of such a request. ...
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
The earthquake in Northern Pakistan has shown the many faces of Pakistan to the rest of the world and to ourselves as well. After spending a brief 4 days in Garhi Dupatta as a volunteer with the Concern for Children team I was deeply moved by the professionalism and the efficiency with which the Independent...
