Elite capture of space
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin’s first human spaceflight not only carried the hopes of the Soviet Union but also bore the aspirations of humanity as a whole. Gagarin’s view…
Literature hostage to the elite
There was a time when literature throbbed with the heartbeat of the people, a time when the pens of writers shook empires, exposed social inequalities and sparked revolutions. Literature was…
Political audit of Afghan policy
THE latest clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces are yet another sign of the deepening rift between the two neighbours. Just three years after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul — a moment that…
End elite capture
For decades, Pakistan’s economy has been held hostage – not by external enemies, but by an internal force more dangerous: elite capture. From the 22 families that controlled Pakistan’s wealth…
Dream of political stability
IT is often believed that engineering political stability is the solution to a nation’s economic and security challenges. The idea of this so-called stability is used to justify the suppression…
Political capitalism
THE last couple of years have witnessed a series of changes to decision-making structures of Pakistan’s economy. These include the creation of the SIFC, the centralisation of economic governance, and greater…
Political culture
THERE have been many political movements in Pakistan; some of them have also been between two opposing ideologies, such as the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy and the Pakistan…
Our elite’s bankruptcy
“God gave Noah the rainbow sign, no more water, the fire next time.” AS Pakistan’s difficulties in meeting its external payment obligations deepen, its elitist policymakers, both past and present,…
Why bash the elite?
ELITE-BASHING is Pakistan’s newest sport. As the country stares into the default abyss, the ubiquitous phrase — ‘elite state capture’ — putatively explains all that has gone awry. Fat-cats are…
Price of elite capture
PAKISTAN’S bane has long been a narrow, oligarchic power elite that has dominated its politics and controlled its economy at the cost of people’s welfare and the country’s progress and…
