The administrative mindset
Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, the PTI government has set out to retool the civil service. In his address to senior bureaucrats on September 14, the prime minister…
Impartiality and fairness in administrative actions
Procedural fairness and conforming to rules of natural justice are the two important elements of judicial review of administrative actions. Cognisance of the said issues has been taken by the…
Why does militancy arise?
Ina recent discussion on the dynamics behind extremism in the country, particularly in the Pashtun belt, a number of factors were enumerated by the discussants. Broadly, the assumption seemed to…
Low-cost housing: need for prudence
There is an ongoing housing crisis in several European countries attributed to locals renting out to tourists, prompting anti-tourism protests in Spain and Portugal, while in Pakistan all administrations, have…
Record 2025 bond sales risk higher euro zone borrowing costs
Provincial budgets are formulated under constraints sourced to the federal budget on two counts: how much of the budgeted taxes imposed by the Centre, collected by the Federal Board of…
Budget FY25 & IMF’s conditions
The economic journey of Pakistan has recently showed a positive transformation, with macroeconomic indicators reflecting a promising outlook. The fiscal performance for the first nine months of the current fiscal…
Navigating trade barriers
IN today’s complex global trade environment, Pakistan finds itself navigating between two competing demands: the Trump administration’s protectionist tariffs and the European Union’s emerging Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). While…
The federation in crisis
Pakistan’s federation confronts an extraordinary convergence of threats that, if not addressed with diligence and resolve, could undermine its unity. Three concurrent crises — the resurgence of TTP terrorism in…
Fiber security: a pillar of economic and agricultural stability
The concept of fiber security holds strategic importance for Pakistan’s economy, textile sector, and agricultural sustainability. As the country’s most significant cash crop, cotton plays a vital role in economic…
Root causes
Insurgent violence in Balochistan is a symptom, not the disease. The disease lies in systemic failures -- political, economic and administrative. The state is focused on suppressing the symptom --…
