Ishtiaq Ahmed, Visiting Research Professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) and the South Asian Studies Programme at the National University of Singapore and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stockholm University, makes a great case for why a secular state is a moral state in his column for today's Daily Times.

President Zardari has outlined a future where our workers are not treated as servants but as partners.

Muhammad Ali Siddiqi's column in Dawn this week about Pakistan's 'New Left' must be considered by any pro-democracy individuals. Those of us who support a liberal, secular government for Pakistan in the tradition of the Quaid - and I suggest this is the majority of Pakistan - we need to work together to resist the very organized and orchestrated right wing and its potentially devastating agenda.

This blog has noted before that even the esteemed Chief Justice cannot pass a purity test. Obviously, this does not mean that he is not a man deserving of respect. But it does make pretty clear that certain people are being held to different standards than others. Take, for example, reports that the CoD is now being altered in order to protect the interests of the Chief Justice as well. For all the talk about treating all people the same under the laws, there still remains one man who appears to be above the law. How can this be?

Think about this: half of a country’s population has no direct involvement in legislation, policy, development. That staggering situation is the reality faced by the women of Pakistan. Though there can be no denying Pakistan has come a long way in the struggle for gender equality, there is still much work to be done.

Positive signs for Pakistan's economy, even as the security situation continues to be a challenge. Last month, IMF reported that, some obstacles such as energy and security notwithstanding, Pakistan's economy looks like it is set to improve. More good news is reported today by Dawn about an economic area that has been worrisome in the past - foreign direct investment.

Nadeem Paracha leaves aside his usual wit and satire today, but his column in Dawn is still a must-read for anyone that believes in Pakistani democracy. Paracha's point, in short, is that the new right wing in Pakistani politics is much more sophisticated than the military dictatorships of the past. As part of this sophistication, the right wing parties are less likely to show their full beliefs, instead hiding their intentions behind ambiguous approaches to democracy, religion, and other areas where their controversial positions might alienate the masses.

Now that the judiciary 'crisis' has settled down and the TV progamme directors are scrambling to invent find the next 'crisis' to increase their advertising sales, one question remains: If the judiciary is watching the government, who is watching the watchers?

Munir Attaullah asks some questions that have not been talked about in his column in today's Daily Times.  These thoughts bear close consideration if any good is to come out of this latest episode of political drama.

For all the talk about the proper role of an independent judiciary and accusations flying that the President was meddling in judicial affairs, is this really the case? Two prominent American lawyers say no, that actually the case is that the judiciary has acted improperly. David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey, Washington, D.C.-based attorneys who served in the Department of Justice during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, wrote in today's Wall Street Journal that it was Chief Justice Chaudhry who acted outside the boundaries of his office.

We have been writing on this blog for some time that the greatest threat to democracy is the political polarisation and gamesmanship being played by political parties and interests across the spectrum. We, as a nation, have seen how small disagreements between government officials and branches are blown out of proportion by political actors and media types, and each and every week there is declared a new threat to the country. The next week, after the artificial hysteria dies down, we see that there was never any threat, but only the regular discussions, disagreements, and compromises that make a democratic system work.

Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi, a respected political and defense analyst, sees the same problem - political posturing on every small issue being used as a piece in a political chess game. But democracy is not a game of chess, and one wrong move can upset not just a chess board, but the entire democracy. And if this happens, all the pieces will fall - including those banging their fists on the board.

by Agha Haider Raza

Over the past few days – out-of-public viewing – Pakistan has witnessed a welcoming shift in policy.  With the capture of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Mullah Abdul Salam, the trust deficit between the United States and Pakistan or rather the ISI and CIA is slowly diminishing.  With a joint effort by these two premier intelligence agencies, a significant blow has been dealt to the top brass of the Taliban.  The capture of these Mullahs seems to have brought upon a new dawn upon the horizon.

The Nation has called on Pakistan's Foreign Secretary to reject the India-Pakistan talks scheduled for 25 February in New Delhi. Even though they usually like to put on a very anti-American costume, the truth is that The Nation promotes many of the same policies that the former American President Geroge Bush followed. Rejecting dialogue with nations that one does not trust - or even sees as an enemy - is the policy of George Bush. It did not work for America, and it will not work for Pakistan.

The headlines are alarming. To outsiders, it must look like the country is on the brink of collapse. And why? Because the CJ does not like the President's judicial appointments. With the nation suffering daily attack from jihadi militants, the price of essentials rising due to inflation, the continued struggle to stabilize our fragile democratic system which is also under daily attack from would-be dictators and their peons -- why is there even an argument about whether one good judge or another should be appointed? Is it worth sacrificing the country for the CJ to satisfy his ego? Enough.

by Salman Tarik Kureshi

The shocked cries of “corruption!” emanating from drawing rooms and TV sets are directed towards the president and his political party. But they include all the personages we call ‘politicians’, i.e. those who seek power by way of the ballot box. Now, while no one condones the corruption of ‘politicians’ so defined, a clearer perspective would show that blatant sleaze by elected office-holders is no worse or more widespread than the subtler, institutional corruption that all Pakistani citizens experience in their interactions with state functionaries at all levels. The tax man, the police inspector, the magistrate or civil judge, not to mention the Patwari, the canal engineer, power project engineers, civic authorities or federal secretariat officials, provincial secretariats, military procurement personnel, all are notorious for requiring ‘lubrication’ to keep the wheels moving.

By Nadeem Paracha

She’s being called the “daughter of the nation” who needs to be rescued from the fanged jaws of the Americans. Her name is Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. Pakistani TV channels and drawing-rooms are buzzing with talk of this gallant woman who was recently found guilty by an American court for attempting murder, and on whose defence the government of Pakistan has already spent a whopping two million dollars.