Shattered ideals vs bitter pragmatism
Stricken by democratic ideals for decades, one is faced with harsh, unbeatable realities in Pakistan. Our heroes shatter ideals, and bitter pragmatism haunts us. If pragmatism is to be believed,…
A judicial renaissance?
PAKISTAN stands at a critical juncture. Faced with several grave economic, political, security and environmental challenges, all-embracing and sustainable solutions are needed to cure systemic maladies. The judiciary — that…
Judicial capture
The established cornerstone of democracy is separation of powers. Within it, a judicial system can only deliver if it is guided solely by legal principle and not politics or personal…
Jinnah’s Pakistan is back?
With the fall of Hasina Wazed, the Prime Minister (PM), Bangladesh has started to move outside the Indian Halo. Once the dust settles, future course of action will unfold as…
When the courts surrender?
During the devastation of WW-II Winston Churchill said, “Thank God. If the courts are working, nothing can go wrong”. When all defences failed, justice prevailed. To uphold human freedom courts…
From colonial legacy to digital era
Are the election results of the 2024 election influenced by external forces and fail to accurately reflect the will of the people? Social media platforms are inundated with comments and…
Streamlining the FBR in haste?
We are fast approaching the general elections, scheduled for February 08, 2024. However, the post-election landscape poses daunting politico-economic challenges for the already troubled economy. Concerns about fairness of elections…
Symbol judgment: what went wrong?
The Supreme Court has pronounced its judgment taking away the PTI’s election symbol. Judges are human and can make mistakes, this decision being an example. Certainly, the millions who witnessed…
Sham elections
IN the bail petition of Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the ‘cipher case’, Justice Athar Minallah, through an order dated Dec 22, 2023, almost prophetically observed: “Discrimination or…
Connecting the dates
Where were you on May 9, 2023? This is one journalistic device to bring up a particular event for comment and interpretation, an event that may have touched the lives…
