MAQzine

by Marvi Memom (The writer is a member of parliament from the PML-Q. marvi.memon@tribune.com.pk) This year we have noticed that whenever we accuse the government of incompetence and corruption, we are accused of being an ineffective opposition. Perhaps it’s time we did a selfcritique to improve the quality of our opposition. Under the current coalition scheme of federal/ provincial governments there is no party that can truly claim to be in opposition — other than the PML. We are not in the government anywhere. Balochistan doesn’t count because even if those members were elected on our ticket they joined the government and stopped following our policies. So that makes us Pakistan ’s only opposition. However, are we effective? In the National Assembly attendance is often low so we can’t be a solid opposition bloc. This acts as a major hamper to any strategy and those present have their own priorities. What Pakistan needs is not just a media that keeps a check on the government but a re...

By Quatrina Hosain (She also hosts a show on Express 24/7) Cynicism should be the purview of a few select few, whose jobs require them to take everything with a pinch of salt — like traffic policemen, bank loan officers and debt collectors. But when did cynicism become a national characteristic? And why are we so angry all the time? And sadly, it is the younger generation that seems to be the most jaded, angry and cynical of us all. As a teenager, I took my identity as a Muslim and as a Pakistani for granted. Yet today, almost every young person I meet is looking to define their identity — an identity they feel is under threat and they feel obligated to defend. It all changed on 9/11. A group of 19 hijackers split the world irrevocably into two camps, best exemplified by George Bush’s infamous “either you are with us or against us” speech. Never mind that all 19 hijackers were Arabs. It was Afghanistan that housed Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. But today Pakistan is considered to be t...