The friendship of princes – of potentates and powers that be — is a fickle thing indeed.

In the euphemistic parlance of our authorities, when a ‘neighboring country’ is blamed for sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan, the implicit reference is to India or perhaps Afghanistan. Rarely, if ever, are fingers pointed towards Pakistan’s southwestern neighbor, Iran. That is now changing.

The new quasi-national government of Pakistan has had a shorter honeymoon than Amir Liaquat’s last marriage. Much like him, it too stands shorn of clothing in front of a camera, staring wild-eyed and unable to comprehend the mess it has landed itself in.

Passing judgment is easy when a matter is black and white; one can take sides with ease while being wrapped in the warm glow of moral certainty. But when a situation seemingly descends into the murky realms of the grey, as the Dua Zehra case has, things get a little more complicated.

There’s never a shortage of horror stories in these parts, but there are some that stand out even among the near-daily lists of atrocities and outrages.