Tahir Mehdi

The politics of ID cards

THE identity card was first introduced in the electoral system by president Ghulam Ishaq Khan through an ordinance issued a month before the landmark 1988 elections. Published 17 Jun, 2012 11:03pm

Vote for nikki’s dowry

By granting voting rights to expatriate Pakistanis, is the election commission attempting to woo them over? Published 05 Jun, 2012 04:47pm

A tiger’s roar, hiccups and a breathless huff

PML-N must focus on representing the people it does the best, and not waste too much energy on nationalistic jingoism. Published 29 May, 2012 02:48pm

Balochistan: bad blood, worse ballot

BALOCHISTAN has listed fewer voters today than it had 15 years ago. Those left out are not missing from their homes nor have they opted to forego their basic political right. Published 29 May, 2012 12:05am

When charisma fails to deliver votes

Pakistan’s urban middle class wants Imran Khan to cast a miraculous spell on politics and be canonised as their saintly PM. Can he deliver? Published 22 May, 2012 09:19am

A baniya in my backyard

Persons like me had to make efforts to de-educate themselves and unlearn the most important political lesson: All Indians are not Hindus and all Hindus are not baniyas. Published 15 May, 2012 06:15pm

Punjab’s soap opera and the hate triangle

Securing votes in Punjab is one thing and having these translated into seats, the real power, is another. Published 09 May, 2012 04:44pm

The curious case of Pakistani women voters

Ten million or so eligible female voters are missing from the voter lists in Pakistan. Are you surprised? Published 03 Apr, 2012 04:36pm

North India and south Pakistan

The two regions of the sub-continent, Uttar Pradesh in India and Sindh in Pakistan to be precise, have a unique ... Published 23 Mar, 2012 10:25am

Check box religion

-Illustration by Mahjabeen Mankani/Dawn.com Know thy box. I mean do you know what box your faith can fit into? You... Published 16 Mar, 2012 04:45pm

A sorry day for women voters

The Election Commission has not issued the gender breakup of the draft electoral rolls. They haven’t made public the... Published 08 Mar, 2012 04:21pm

Dial a vote

The Election Commission’s new SMS service for voters to check whether they are listed in the electoral rolls for... Published 02 Mar, 2012 09:54am