Role of the Speaker
IT proved to be a fateful Sunday. The deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who was presiding over a sitting called specifically to vote on the no-confidence motion against the…
The retroactive trap
A controversial amendment to the Elections Act, 2017 was signed into law, upon receiving the president’s assent on the 8th of August, 2024, thereby concluding the legislative process. The Elections…
Confronting the crisis: corruption, mismanagement, and the path forward
Corruption stems from the absence or inadequacy of constitutional rule and leads to a breakdown in governance, which is essential for economic survival, revival, and growth. Corruption erodes the very…
Budgets 2024: thinking afresh
“Simplify taxes, reduce the cost of excessive documentation, open the economy for higher growth and employment, taxes too will increase”—Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Policy Viewpoint [16:2020] Doing Taxes…
Going beyond austerity
The recent announcement by President Asif Ali Zardari to forgo his salary is worth appreciating. It is equally heartening to see that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is determined to cut…
Re-aligning NFC: coalition govt faces a challenge from within
Reportedly, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) has requested resumption of dialogue on the National Finance Commission (NFC) award to address the imbalances in the distribution of fiscal resources between the…
To Dar or not
The prospect of Ishaq Dar’s return as finance minister in a PML-N government after the next elections will be a baffling choice. Even a delay in elections still leaves compelling…
In the mirror of April 4
An uncanny, even providential, coincidence it was that the three-member bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, announced its decision to overrule the Election Commission…
The Covid saga
It was a nightmare that haunts many of us till today. The Covid pandemic that swept the country and whose lethal strikes snatched many of our friends and relatives. This…
Deconstructing the property tax
One of the significant measures to meet the demands of the International Monetary Fund is the tax revenue target of Rs7,004 billion of the Federal Board of Revenue for FY2022-23,…
