Adil Najam

Adil Najam

Part of me thinks that I should wait until the current World Cup match against host and co-favorites Sri Lanka ends. But another part insists that no matter what the result of the game, the point is made: Pakistan is indeed a contender. Mercurial, unpredictable, sometimes spectacular, often its own worst enemy (and that could happen in this game too), but never shy of upsets and surprises (in its own favor and against!).

So, what do you think: Is Pakistan a contender? And now two two games done and every team already having played, how do you evaluate Pakistan’s chances in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup? Is our readers’ assessment of the team’s chances the same it was two weeks ago, or has it changed. Have your say.

Adil Najam

Although not at all unexpected, the news is big.

The Pakistan Mulsim Leage (Nawaz) has parted ways with its provincial government coalition ally, the PPP, in the Punjab government. The PPP has accepted the decision (in a graceful and decent, but still hard-hitting, statement from Raza Rabbani, which I hope other politicians in all parties, including his own, should view as a model of what decent but strong political statements sounds like!).

The question, now, is: Now what?

Maybe it is too early to say. Although my hope is nothing much. Let politics and governance go on. This, too, is part of democracy. If both PML(N) and PPP take it as a political change and move on with life and display political maturity in dealing with it, they will both come out looking better than they now do.

I do hope this will not morph into an episode in intrigue and conspiracy. Although I suspect that is exactly what will happen. I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying that I am wrong.