Farcical shenanigans
The country is beset with serious crises in the economic, political and security fields. Yet if one glances at the manner in which the confrontation between Imran Khan and his…
A consensus on the economy
Endorsing the previous government’s relief package by turning down the summary of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) for an increase in prices, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has decided…
PTI and the future
Self-accountability and on-ground mobilisation of volunteers and workers will be key to the PTI’s preparations for the next general elections. The two are intrinsically linked. Effective mobilisation will require motivated…
Capitalising on CBD
It appears Pakistan may soon be entering the lucrative and growing global cannabis industry. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government announced late last year that it would allow for the industrial…
G-B: rerun of 2018 general elections
The interim, unofficial results of the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) election show a disconcerting, familiar pattern. At the time of writing these lines, these results show the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) leading with…
Reversal of fortunes
Despite being a dominant party since 2013 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI’s recent setback in the first phase of local government polls was extraordinary but understandable. The ruling party suffered…
Restructuring the tax system — II
The PTI Government showed lack of political will to reduce exemptions, concessions, waivers and immunities to the State Oligarchy. Total tax expenditure was of Rs. 1.5 trillion in the just…
Data integrity required
The oft used proverb “there are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics” is a stark reminder that data can and is used to bolster a weak…
Check-posts against white collar crimes
First, the medicine prices went through the roof. Next, it was the turn of Atta (wheat flour) and sugar prices, followed by “artificial shortage” of oil at a time when…
Dangerous optics
ON March 25, Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz shared a photo on his Twitter account that showed the prime minister who had tested positive for Covid-19 (I…
