Time for a new beginning
FORMER prime minister Imran Khan may have his own reasons to lash out at the ‘establishment’, but the fact is that the subject of civil-military relations has been around for…
The caged country
PAKISTAN is one of the few countries where political surrogacy is still legal, where a seed can be planted by the military to gestate in the womb of democracy. Earlier…
Elusive common ground
Pakistan has seen several extreme levels of confrontation between political actors in its 75 years of existence. A mammoth people’s movement had mobilised against the 10-year-long rule of then president…
Stable options
Cleaning the political stables for posterity is the buzzword that has echoed through the history of this country, every regime here quickly finding its own set of supporters who wanted…
The farce of caretaker govts
The preamble to the constitution and the Objectives Resolution (1949) clearly mandate that state shall exercise its powers and authority through the chosen representatives of the people. The duty to…
Constitutional amendments: Part IV
After General Ziaul Haq managed to arm twist the National Assembly in 1985 to pass the devastating 8th Amendment, he announced the withdrawal of martial law in December. Now the…
Constitutional amendments: Part – III
The sixth constitutional amendment – passed in December 1976 – made a mockery of the constitution. It allowed the chief justice of the Supreme Court and high courts to complete…
Striped donkeys
CAN a donkey painted with stripes become a zebra? The 19th-century educationist Macaulay thought so. The system he designed for the upper classes in British India aimed to create “a…
Export culture is just a mirage
Business community is considered a very strong and potent force anywhere in the world. The opinions, views, and concerns of business/industry community are taken with all merit. A united community…
Privatisation of SOEs
Pakistan has a long history of a mixed economic system, starting with laissez-faire and the all-out nationalisation of industries and businesses and ending up with experiencing privatisation. The concept of…
