Broken federalism
PAKISTAN is confronting climate change under a governance model that was not designed for systemic, cross-border crises. Floods, heatwaves, droughts and glacial melt now interact with food security, public health,…
Undermining the federal compact
BARELY had the ink dried on the 27th Amendment that talk of the 28th began. Were it to be passed, the much-discussed 28th amendment would purportedly strip away constitutional protection for provincial shares under…
Federalism, DRM and the FCC
To implement any federal constitution, a Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM) is a prerequisite. DRM provisions exist in all constitutions worldwide. Due to the absence of effective DRMs, governments are ‘made’…
Federalism at risk — Part – II
As I noted in Part I of this article (‘Federalism at risk’, October 9), critics argue that the 7th NFC allocated ‘excessive’ resources to provinces and ultimately bankrupted the federation.…
US delays key jobs report due to government shutdown
The United States suspended the publication of a key employment report Friday as a partial government shutdown entered its third day, casting a fog over the health of the world’s…
Prolonged US government shutdown could raise market risks
Investors have anticipated for weeks the risks of a US government shutdown to markets. Now that it is here, they are hoping it will be brief. A shutdown that lasts…
Federalism at risk ( Part – I)
This is Part I of a two-part article. Here I trace the historical and constitutional arc of how Pakistan distributes resources between the federation and the provinces – and why…
Federalising cities
On August 11, 2025, a shocking development was announced by US President Trump and the White House: the US federal government federalised Washington DC, the nation’s capital. The order was…
Provinces or local government?
RECENT media reports indicate that the ‘27th constitutional amendment’ is likely to divide the existing four federating units into 12 provinces. Before finalising such a decision, parliamentarians must consider a…
From Frontier to Federal
THE Frontier Constabulary (FC), forged by the statute of 1915 from the fearless Samana Rifles and Border Military Police, was born not merely of administrative necessity, but also of a…
