Farheen Rizvi

The democratic government needs to do more to restore the secular forces of the country by giving them freedom of expression and right of assembly.

We have always been the easiest tool for violence around the world.

Religious groups, which act like State within the State, can't continue to run as a part of its society.

The state has to move forward from military operation to countering the ideology of militants.

The student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami has been serving as an incubator for militancy in the country.

Instead of focusing on the jihadi terror groups, the military got distracted in reopening previous hostilities against secular political parties.

Rounding up political activists as terrorists while showing benevolence to actual terrorists reflect the State's non-serious approach towards terrorism.

Doing media trials of political leadership has weakened the judiciary and distorted the image of military in the country.

Acts drafted by the nation's parliamentarians to control the freedom of speech and expression of public to armed forces are not the steps towards a democracy.

Knowing the long history of proxy wars of the kingdom in the Middle East, Pakistan should distance itself from any direct or indirect military support to the conflict.