All hail the king
MILITARY parades are not uncommon in many parts of the world. Lines of tanks, contingents of marching soldiers, missiles, along with fighter jets and helicopters flying overhead, create just the…
Wait for it
EID-ul-Azha is a re-enactment of the moment when Abraham surrendered to God’s command and prepared to sacrifice his beloved son Ismail. Over time, the other lineal descendants of Abraham —…
An appraisal of provincial budgets
Provincial budgets for Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the fiscal year (FY) 2025–26 reflect a precarious balancing act between growth ambitions and fiscal realism, raising critical questions about their…
A fairy-tale budget
Over the last three decades at least, the people of Pakistan have had little to cheer about the budget. This year, however, Budget 2025-26 has left them – including industrialists,…
Old fixes, new failures
If you grew up in a village in 1980s Pakistan, you probably remember the doctor babu – the primary caregiver for a wide range of ailments within the community. He…
Why Peca 2025 fails the test
In 1962, John F Kennedy said, "a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid…
It is time to raise better sons
In Pakistan, we have witnessed several episodes of violence, harassment, repression and even murder of several women across the various layers of our economic strata. From the affluent Noor Mukaddam…
Rise of legal AI
A quiet revolution is underway in courtrooms and law firms from New York to Nairobi. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), powered by large language models like GPT-4, is no longer a…
Ukraine pitches tougher Russia sanctions plan to EU as US
Ukraine will ask the EU next week to consider big new steps to isolate Moscow, including seizing Russian assets and bringing in sanctions for some buyers of Russian oil, as…
Farm to failure: higher taxes feeding informal sector
The federal government in the past few years has imposed hefty taxes on the documented sector, fueling the informal economy. It’s a double whammy, as not only are the higher…
