Political influence
The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) was set up as a statutory body under the Constitution Act 1976 to regulate the engineering profession in Pakistan. Its stated mission was to set…
Political finance
Outside election years, a major national party typically requires Rs5–10 billion a year just to function. This covers continuous political operations, not campaigning – and this in a system with…
A new geopolitical chessboard
Global geopolitics is in a state of flux, driven by such factors as the rise of China and other major powers, erosion of international law, diminishing relevance of the UN…
Political economy of floods
The story of Karachi is the story of a home that catches fire every monsoon, then frantically calls the fire brigade, yet never repairs the stove. The fire seems endless,…
The machinery of influence
There is a particular breed of political monster that history births again and again – yet each time, the world is unprepared to recognise it. It is the leader who…
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…
Musk projects his hard-right influence in Europe
He demanded new elections in Britain, promoted Germany’s far-right, blasted the European Commission — and that’s just the start. Elon Musk is pushing the hard right in Europe, where progressives…
As Musk gains influence, questions hover over US probes into his empire
Last month, in the waning days of the Biden administration, the SEC set a tight deadline of several days for demanding that Elon Musk pay a settlement or face civil…
2025: Economic challenges meeting political crossroads
2024 was a year of economic stabilization for Pakistan. Inflation plummeted, the exchange rate showed marginal improvement, and interest rates were nearly halved. However, employment creation and economic growth remained…
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…
