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…
IMF’s economic outlook
The global economy is witnessing a turbulent transformation shaped by policy realignments, geopolitical frictions, and structural transitions. The latest ‘World Economic Outlook’ of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), titled ‘Global…
The case for a third district
The Swat Valley has now been officially divided into two districts: District Swat and District Bar Swat (Upper Swat). District Upper Swat comprises three tehsils: Matta, Khwazakhela and Bahrain. In…
The state that doesn’t deliver
Public service delivery in Pakistan has long been inefficient and remains a persistent governance challenge and subject of public debate. Service delivery is the most direct way in which the…
Health governance & IMF report
WHEN people moan about weak health governance and corruption in the health sector, I remind them it is a small piece of a larger problem. Fixing governance issues in the…
Parched Iran
IRAN’S populous cities of Tehran and Mashhad are approaching Day Zero. The term refers to a moment when a city or an area runs dry and is unable to supply…
From rote to real
Education is often spoken of as the cornerstone of a nation’s future. Yet, despite this widespread acknowledgement, it continues to be treated as a ‘soft’ issue, overshadowed by seemingly more…
New vision, new approach for AJK
A major political reshuffle appears imminent in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK). But will it effectively revive the legitimacy of the prevailing political settlement among the people of AJK? Prima…
