-
Oct 4, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Nadeem Paracha
For years, I was often left scratching my head after engaging with supporters of Imran Khan. It seemed that they were functioning in some alternative reality — especially after the May 9, 2023, riots. What’s even more baffling is the fact that after the riot, one began to see many folks who were thought to be ‘wiser,’ suddenly take leave of their wisdom and enthusiastically enter the reality where much of the pro-Khan crowd was stationed.
-
Sep 17, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Nadeem Paracha
‘Give me disappointment or give me death’ Romantics thrive on disappointments. Disappointments inspire them to weave laments through which they can exhibit their idealistic/romantic dispositions. They need to ‘feel’ to be able to do this. If an occasion isn’t able to get Romantics to emote, they are likely to ignore it.
-
Aug 9, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Nadeem Paracha
Anocracy: Open and Closed Global politics seems to be becoming conducive for military takeovers again. The age of democratic revolutions is well and truly over. The fact is: it began to erode within a decade after ‘new democracies’ started to emerge at the end of the Cold War in 1991. In 1992, the influential American scholar Francis Fukuyama wrote that liberal democracy would be free of any serious opposition after the collapse of Soviet communism.
-
Jul 29, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Nadeem Paracha
Cult Classic: noun: Something, typically a film or book, that is popular or fashionable among a particular group or section of society. (Oxford Dictionary) This definition is not incorrect, but it is somewhat limited. Cult classics are only occasionally about art that is good but not appreciated by enough people. But some unappreciated art begins to gather a dedicated following which may provide it the mainstream appreciation that it initially deserved.
-
Jul 16, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Nadeem Paracha
The Left and Right of Populism The word ‘populism’ in Pakistan entered the mainstream political discourse rather late in the day.
-
Jun 24, 2024 | 
m.thewire.in | Nadeem Paracha
In November 1979, around 600 armed men seized the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The group was led by Juhayman al-Otaybi, who wished to kick-start an apocalypse prophesied in certain obscure Islamic traditions. The prophecy foretells the arrival of the ‘Mahdi’, a figure who will emerge at the ‘end of time’ to rid the world of sin. Advertisement Otaybi didn’t have to wait for a Mahdi, though. Apparently, the Mahdi was already with him in the shape of one Abdullah al-Qahtani.
-
Jun 15, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Ejaz Haider |Nadeem Paracha |Tariq Aqil |Ahmad Faruqui
A June 10 exclusive report in the United States newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, claims to have reviewed dozens of messages by Hamas’ Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, “transmitted to cease-fire negotiators, Hamas compatriots outside Gaza and others” and which show “a cold disregard for human life and [make] clear [Sinwar] believes Israel has more to lose from the war than Hamas.” The WSJ report does not name any source but puts some lines in quotes to indicate, presumably, the authenticity of...
-
Jun 8, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Shahid Rahim |Riaz Missen |Huzaima Bukhari |Nadeem Paracha
A thunderbolt struck electricity consumers in Pakistan a few weeks ago; its tremors are still being felt across the country. It all started with media reports that the government was considering raising the average electricity tariff by almost 25% starting July 2024.
-
May 24, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Huzaima Bukhari |Riaz Missen |Shahid Rahim |Nadeem Paracha
“The future is green energy, sustainability, renewable energy.”—Arnold Schwarzenegger Who can refute the fact that electric power can now be included in the category of fundamental rights of modern human beings. With a heavy reliance on innumerable gadgets on electricity, there is a constant need for an uninterrupted supply of power.
-
May 23, 2024 | 
thefridaytimes.com | Raza Rumi |Tahir Imran Mian |Mohammed Anas |Nadeem Paracha
Naya Daur TV YouTube Channel on Wednesday came under cyber attack by unidentified people as it was hacked and remained terminated for over 20 hours, which was later restored due to assistance by Google, Gmail, and YouTube officials.
