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Fatal decisions

TIMING is everything, especially in politics. Mistiming can be fatal, as three recent leaders, now out of power, have learned. In October 1999, PM Mian Nawaz Sharif decided to remove…

Women in prisons

THE global female prison population is growing at a faster rate than that of men. While women still represent a smaller percentage of the total prison population in most countries,…

The clamour rises

HOURS after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced its monetary policy decision cutting the key policy rate by one percentage point, the business community was in an uproar. They…

Gloomy prognosis

WHEN I first started working as a journalist, my senior colleagues and field-hardened editors introduced me to the concept of the release valve. I was often surprised that we were…

Powering Pakistan’s EV revolution

Transitioning to climate-friendly electric vehicles (EVs) is crucial for Pakistan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve sustainability. With a projected population of over 400 million and 70 per cent…

The case for BISP’s expansion

Social protection has been defined in official documents in Pakistan as “public initiatives which provide income or consumption transfers to the poor, protect the vulnerable against livelihood risks and volatility…

Is this bar leadership or a boys’ club?

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once famously remarked, “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time”. In Pakistan, those steps aren’t just obstructed but actively cemented…

Embrace climate risk insurance

The significance of climate risk insurance in today’s world extends far beyond just financial security. It is a crucial lifeline for communities facing the devastating impacts of a rapidly changing…

Misleading numbers

Finding an easy solution to a complex problem appears to be the prevailing strategy to achieve a two-pronged objective: buying time and garnering positive publicity for cosmetic efforts. How else…

The case for SHC jurisdiction

A new law in the Sindh Assembly aims to abolish the original civil jurisdiction of the Sindh High Court (SHC). What exactly is original civil jurisdiction, and what are the…