Debate of the week

At least 11 lives were lost on Tuesday, when armed assailants opened fire at a rally protesting the proposed creation of a Mohajir province, according to reports. The joint rally was being conducted by members and leaders of the nationalist party Awami Tehreek and the banned Peoples Amn Committee (PAC), with support from Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Protesting against the recent increase in graffiti and posters...

President Asif Ali Zardari, along with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, are set to attend the Nato summit in Chicago this weekend, after receiving a last-minute invitation from the organisers. The decision, which came as talks were reportedly underway to reopen Nato supplies to Afghanistan, was welcomed by the federal cabinet. The decision to attend the summit and, indeed, to invite Pakistan was linked to the reopening of Nato supplies being transported...

The Pakistan Cricket Board, on Thursday, announced the national squads for next month’s tour of Sri Lanka. Three separate teams were announced for all three formats of the game, with Mohammad Hafeez being appointed captain for the Twenty20 squad in place of Misbah-ul-Haq. Besides the change at the helm of the T20 squad, a few surprise recalls were handed out to players previously discarded from the national side. These included Mohammad Sami, Imran...

The United States’ relationship with Pakistan has not “collapsed,” according to diplomatic sources quoted in this newspaper on Tuesday. The statement coincided with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s assertion that Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is “somewhere in Pakistan,” which was then followed by a rebuttal from Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. In the preceding week, Defence Minister Chuadhry Ahmad Mukhtar said that Pakistan...

With the calls for a new province constantly being echoed, various questions are being raised regarding the motives, prudence and consensus behind this. Where most people seem to agree with the fact that smaller provinces may help bolster efficient administration, confusion starts at how these would be carved out. For instance, in the case of the Seraiki province, will the geographical boundaries incorporate three divisions of southern Punjab or will...

The police operation against criminal elements in Lyari entered its fourth day on Monday, as the number of dead over the weekend rose to 20. Locals have protested against the operation, saying the residents of Lyari are being targeted on the pretext of a worsening state of lawlessness. While the current operation underway in Lyari is the second of this year, Lyari’s residents question why similar action is not taken in other areas of Karachi. The...

Following two tragic airline accidents in less than two years, several near-misses and regular flight delays, the Civil Aviation Authority has said it will carry out inspections on all passenger airplanes being used by private airlines. While the move is a welcome one, it remains to be seen how thorough these checks will be and if any irregularities and technical problems are found with the planes, how the CAA will deal with them. The aviation body...

A passenger airplane belonging to Bhoja Air has crashed near Chaklala Air Force Base in Rawalpindi. At least 127 people are feared dead as a result of the crash, according to the Ministry of Defence. Were you at or close to the site of the accident? Do you have any details regarding the plane crash? Dawn.com requests its readers to share any information regarding the tragic accident that they may have.

An attack on the Bannu Central Prison, which led to the escape of 384 inmates, has been termed as the biggest jailbreak in Pakistan’s history. The prisoners managed to escape following an audacious attack, carried out by 100 militants, blew up the prison’s gates and left the security personnel helpless. Security agencies, including the police and local paramilitary forces have been blamed for the brazen attack. Following the attack, details emerged...

With the ‘successful’ completion of the domestic Twenty20 Super Eight tournament in Rawalpindi, there have been calls for brining international cricket back to the country. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been trying to convince its international counterparts that the country is ready to host international matches again. One such attempt led to inviting Bangladesh for a short series this month (April) before Pakistan leave for their tour...