Problem with Punjab CNIC
AN unprecedented wave of province-wide violence in Balochistan, launched by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), has raised significant concerns about the level of unrest in the province and the state’s response.…
Can we register a business in 18 minutes?
Imagine registering a business in under ten minutes – without visiting multiple government offices, submitting countless forms, or waiting weeks for verification. While this might sound like a distant dream…
A woman’s citizenship ordeal
We often hear that Pakistan’s passport is not very strong or desirable, since many people presumably would move to another country if given a choice and the chance. We hear…
Disabled colliers
KHADIM Faqir (not his real name), 27, still remembers the fateful day nearly four years ago when the 1,200-metre-deep coal mine he was working in, collapsed. Days later when he…
The year of a business revolution
My fellow citizens of Reformistan, honourable members of the National Assembly, and distinguished guests, January 1, 2025, has marked not just the beginning of a new year but the dawn…
Patronage and power
In Pakistan, if you have ever experienced the inconvenience and general discomfort of dealing with government officials (as have I numerous times), then this is something that you, by and…
And then they came for VPNs
ON Nov 28, 2024, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz posted a video on X — via a VPN, of course, since X has been officially banned by the government — announcing Pakistan’s first IT…
The real and present killer
Bomb blasts. Shoot-outs. Missiles. All are killers. When they happen, there is uproar. There is panic. There are emergency meetings. There are drastic steps taken. As they should be. How…
Stateless workers
OF the 79 miners who have died since Jan 1, 2024, in Pakistan’s deadly coal mines, not a single one was registered with the EOBI. They were all born as…
Each one to teach one
Education is a right, not a privilege, for every citizen of Pakistan. The country faces significant challenges in achieving universal literacy and numeracy, with approximately 70 million illiterate individuals. With…
