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…
Federalised tax reform strategy
The Constitution (Eighteenth Amend-ment) Act, 2010, [18th Amendment], became effective on April 19, 2010, brought a major shift in Pakistan’s fiscal and administrative architecture. With principal objective of granting greater…
The federal budget of FY2025-26
The federal budget for 2025-26 has been announced recently. This has led to wide-ranging discussions in the media about the issues not addressed or focused on in the budget, the…
Confident government?
OVERSHADOWED by wars in our neighbourhood, the budget and the debate around it has been rather subdued. Despite this, among those who have been following the issue, disappointment has been…
