Political merry-go-round
THERE has been far too much discussion on May 9 in the past week, making the issue as repetitive as our talk show discussions. But then, I do claim to write on…
Finding political legitimacy
I wrote about the CAR framework last month and posited that governance has become much more challenging because ‘capability’, ‘accountability’ and ‘responsiveness’ have all become compromised. These qualities have been…
Dynamics of a political oligopoly
One of the unintended, yet predictable, outcomes of the rise of the PTI is that it has allowed the PML-N and the PPP, which remained at daggers drawn during the…
The implications of depopulating Gaza
In December 1987 after two decades of humiliation, oppression, and continued life under occupation, Palestinians began a series of protests that ended up becoming what is today referred to as…
A great social and political upheaval is coming?
There are two extremely discomforting economic phenomena unfolding simultaneously in Pakistan – one is dangerously high food inflation, and the other is rising unemployment. The term economists use for such…
Political turbulence has affected FDI inflows
Given its brittle balance of payments position and urgent need to boost industrial production, Pakistan must progressively increase its mobilization of foreign resources; and that is not just an argument!…
Economic growth amid political instability
Political instability is a serious impediment to economic progress. Not only does it shorten policymakers’ horizons leading to suboptimal short term macroeconomic policies, but it is also the cause of…
Political lobotomy
THOSE whom the gods wish to punish, they first make cricketers and then prime ministers. Both Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan have played cricket and politics. They have won and…
Export slide: causes and implications – I
Multiple changes have been observed at the political and economic stages of Pakistan during the last four years. This period can be considered a surprising regime in the history of…
Poverty of political discourse
IN Pakistan’s deeply polarised and fraught environment the tone and content of political discourse has plunged to a level not witnessed before. Political conduct may not have been polite in…
