Elites, legislators and squanderers
Pakistan is ruled and controlled by predatory elites in whose hands power and wealth are concentrated. This has been proved in the recent election of 54 members of Senate where…
Judges as legislators
Under our constitution, parliament legislates, the executive runs the government of the day and the judges decide when either of the other two has overstepped its domain. The power of…
To potential legislators
In a democratic society, the stance of the contenders for the country’s supreme legislative body should be driven by the issues that the nation is facing. The primary qualification of…
Panama Leaks and legislators
Much before Bahamas Leaks and Panama Leaks, we cited in these columns many cases of unlawful capital outflows, tax avoidance and corruption by public officeholders and others. However, the National…
Tax evasion and legislators
Allegation of the Federal Information Minister in a press conference on November 27, 2014 that Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan, and other prominent leaders of his party are "tax…
Legislators and tax delinquency
The recently-published tax directory of legislators not only sadly reflects on the financial affairs of majority of the senators and members of national and provincial assemblies but also raises serious…
Judges as legislators
In ‘Blink’ Malcom Gladwell suggests that human beings generally reach decisions intuitively and instantly upon being confronted with the need to reach them and then come up with explanations rationalising…
Empowering women, empowering Punjab
Gender equality is more than a moral imperative; it is essential for a fair and just society and a catalyst for economic and social progress. It is enshrined in Pakistan’s…
High-stakes reserved seats
RESERVED seats for women and non-Muslims in our legislatures have been a long-standing feature of Pakistan’s political system, but they had never brought the state close to constitutional breakdown —…
The impasse persists
FOR all the speculation during last month’s SCO summit about a thaw in Pakistan-India relations, there has been no melting of the ice between the two neighbours. Instead, subsequent developments indicate the long-standing diplomatic…
