After the showdown
LAST week’s showdown between the government and opposition may have ended sooner than anyone expected but it left serious unresolved problems in its wake. It has deepened the political divide and increased polarisation in…
A pyrrhic victory?
THE manner in which the two main opposition parties have helped pass amendments to the Army Act, the Air Force Act and the Pakistan Navy Act has exposed the sincerity…
A tangled web indeed
As could be anticipated, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf’s (PTI’s) protests on March 10, 2024 against alleged election rigging were nullified by the police, particularly in Punjab, where newly inducted Chief Minister…
Next steps for a political miracle
The people of Pakistan spoke clearly on February 8. Their favourite political party is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Their favourite leader, even though he is in jail, is as beloved to…
Saving the electoral process
The election process, which represents the people's collective voice and will, is the cornerstone of democracy. It stands for the essential idea that every person has the right to influence…
How does a sexual violence trial work?
The Ministry of Law and Justice has recently notified the Anti-Rape (Trial Procedure) Rules 2022 under the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021. A trial starts once the police submit…
SC: Jurisdiction & justice – II
4. Makhdoom Ali Khan referred to the case of Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi v. Imran Khan (Reference No. 1 of 2007) wherein Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, one of the…
Special courts and sexual violence
In the backdrop of the Lahore motorway rape case, President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi exercised his presidential powers under Clause (1) of Article 89 of the Constitution of the…
Seniority v merit: a false binary?
The 5-4 decision by the Judicial Commission (JC) to elevate a junior judge from the Sindh High Court to the Supreme Court (SC) has sparked discontent within the legal fraternity.…
Women in France
PUBLIC hanging. Chemical castration. Ibratnaak executions. It’s an unlikely few phrases for making us feel better, but they’re said all the same. They also miss the point. The motorway rape occurred on Sept 9.…
