Signposts to 2021
A year that begins with a huddle of the leaders of opposition parties to redesign their strategy at a critical moment in their campaign to overthrow the government of Prime…
A signpost to the old ways?
At a recent press conference in Islamabad, Maulvi Abdul Aziz announced ‘forgiveness’ for Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf during whose regime the 2007 Lal Masjid Operation was conducted. Aziz said he…
Vanishing biodiversity
Pakistan is confronted with an often overlooked but urgent truth: biodiversity in the country is under siege. The causes are many: climate change, habitat loss, overexploitation, and pollution. But beneath…
Crisis of being
IN Pakistan and across the globe, we are facing a mental health crisis of staggering proportions. But beneath the rising rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout lies a deeper, more…
Amusing ourselves to death
The late cultural critic Neil Postman, in his book ‘Amusing Ourselves to Death’ (1985), warned of a society losing its capacity for rational discourse, succumbing to a culture dominated by…
More ‘Moditva’
THE impressive logistics of India’s national elections inspire considerable international coverage. This year, the process initiated last Friday will culminate at the start of June, and the potential electorate includes…
An empty Assembly
THIS past week, President Arif Alvi, sole survivor of the tabdeeli government at the centre, said, “If [Imran] had asked me, I would have suggested not leaving the Assembly”. After…
Isomorphic mimicry on steroidsMosharraf Zaidi
Every week, there are signs of life in the republic. One week the prime minister initiates a large-scale transformation effort for education by declaring an ‘education emergency’. Another week, the…
Real time access to info and data base
The nature of documentation of Pakistan’s economic environment can be classified into three broad segments as under: 1. Transactions undertaken by the documented sector which are also reflected in ‘tax…
FATF: upcoming challenges
The first meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after Pakistan’s exit from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring (commonly known as the Grey List) was held from…
