Missing legislative transparency
A COUPLE of years ago, an innovative parliamentary reporter stood outside the Punjab Assembly and asked — on camera — the members emerging from the building to describe, in a…
The legislative domain
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 (the ‘constitution’) ushered the concept of bicameralism, which was successively adopted at the centre in the form of the parliament, comprising…
Gilgit-Baltistan’s federal dependency
Pakistan has seen frequent political shifts, with no prospects of a civilian government ever finishing a term without any turbulence. The impact of such impetuous shifts in politics has been…
Economy in a federal framework
When a federal state tries to manage its economy using a centrist financial system the result would certainly be no better than what Pakistan had experienced during its first 63…
Administrative federalism
The term ‘federalism’, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, refers to an arrangement among various levels of government for the implementation of policies through negotiations and coordination while still maintaining central integrity.…
Federal govt intends to abolish HEC’s autonomous status
Social activists, academics and human rights defenders have said the federal government intends to systemically abolish the autonomous status of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan by promulgating a presidential…
Federalism and nation-building
Federalism is again under attack with a persistent campaign against the 18th Amendment or via irresponsible talk about the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Sindh. Already three provinces are being…
A federal council
In Pakistan and in India the trend towards increase of power by the federation has been reversed. It is now unmistakably towards greater power for the federating provinces or states.…
We need sensible policies
In March 2001, as federal minister of science and technology, I approached then-president Musharraf with three proposals. The first was to extend the continental shelf of Pakistan from its limits…
Irsa controversy
THE Indus River System Authority is again in the spotlight. Following in the footsteps of the previous caretaker government, the present regime is also, most painstakingly, working on amending the…
