The captive conscience
THE silence of a predawn Lahore was shattered by an act of institutional brutality: a late-night operation near Data Darbar by the Lahore Development Authority. This unannounced sweep saw structures…
War on climate science
In late October, Hurricane Melissa (that should have been called “Godzilla”) battered western Jamaica with 185-mile-an-hour winds. It tossed the roofs of buildings about like splintering javelins, demolished municipal buildings…
Trump calls climate change a con; science braces for more
President Donald Trump’s decision to downplay or outright delete issues and data tied to climate change is raising fears of a wider push to quash debate with dire consequences on…
When code replaces conscience
In the summer of 2013, Eric Loomis walked into a Wisconsin courtroom expecting to hear a judge’s reasoning, not the verdict of a secret algorithm. But that’s exactly what determined…
Experience is data
While watching a classic cricket match from the 1990s, I realised something: data, a term now central to fields from business to sports, was always present – even before our…
The age of data
Regardless of personal views, it's evident that the bureaucracy and political leadership are fundamental in designing and implementing government policies and hold considerable expertise. This is why it is crucial…
The science of progress
Many exciting developments in the fields of science and technology are rapidly transforming the landscape of those countries that are investing in research and development. Many of these innovations are…
Data in the digital age
From the moment an individual wakes up in the morning to the time s/he sets the alarm for the following day -- and even while sleeping – his/her life is…
New data, old insights
There was a time when systematically collected data about schoolchildren’s learning levels was scarce, spottily collected, and hard to obtain. ‘Reforms’ were the brainchildren of politicians or senior bureaucrats in…
Data-driven developmentDr Murtaza Khuhro
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) stands as the principal government agency responsible for collecting and disseminating statistical data across various economic, social, and demographic dimensions within Pakistan. Given its…
