Why power-sector reforms fail
Pakistan’s power sector has long been a tale of reforms that promise much but deliver little. Despite decades of policy interventions aimed at boosting energy generation, reducing losses, and reforming…
Integrity is the law
WHAT do judges really do? What magic do they use that, not them, but the words they speak, dictate and rule? What is their lot? What objects are hidden under…
Law that rules
NOT too long ago, it was reported that the Pakistan Customs Group’s association had moved a resolution seeking proof of the government’s allegations of corruption and inefficiency against certain tax…
Why Pakistan fails in space
THANKS to a legion of excellent scientists and engineers trained in Indian universities, India is shooting for the stars. Here ‘stars’ is a metaphor for much else: astrophysics, computers, chemical…
Racked with guilt
I FEEL guilty when standing under a hot shower in the morning because the gas which is heating the water, even though paid for by me, is causing a 20…
In pursuit of quality PHC
MY quest for quality primary healthcare (PHC) continues. I see it as a panacea for health development in my country. We will never be able to improve our worst national…
Don’t blame the Chinese
AN exam question for CSS aspirants: what’s higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the seas, stronger than steel, and sweeter than honey? Well, dear candidate, any hesitation suggests your patriotism…
Simple lessons
IMAGINE a country where 99.9 per cent of the citizens cannot file their complex and convoluted tax returns without hiring the services of tax lawyers. Imagine a country whose railway…
Business & politics: highly questionable relationship
States are run on compassion not commissions and kickbacks. People come before profits. Businesses must be profitable otherwise they go under. Businessmen watch the colour of the bottom line, always…
Human smuggling
THOUGH rampant, human smuggling in Pakistan remains poorly documented. Only when a tragedy occurs does the issue take centre stage. A nationwide crackdown was announced after a fishing boat carrying…
