Supremacy of state institutions
In the last couple of days, much has happened in the United States of America. A politically charged mob, reported to be instigated by President Donald Trump, attacked the Capitol…
Politicising state institutions
The entrails of our society, particularly in Karachi, are hanging out. Over a hundred targeted killings may seem like another gruesome statistic. And we have been through so many in…
Ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan and Ministry of States & Frontier Regions: Rationalisation of institutions – XII
With years of poor governance, especially in the last decade, the institutions of Pakistan have suffered immensely and have recorded a significant decline with some being on the verge of…
IMF review & state of economy
I expect an agreement on the review to come within this week, so, any day now. I can say that Pakistani authorities, the Minister of Finance, they deserve credit for…
Rebuilding the state
The inauguration of Justice Qazi Faez Isa as the new chief justice of Pakistan has brought hope to some – and inevitably dismay to others. It is true that Chief…
Smoke, mirrors and state assets
The Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions Act, 2022 (the 2022 Act) was enacted last year and has been recently put into effect by granting a concession for certain berths at Karachi Port…
Statecraft vs stategraft
Statecraft is a larger concept of running the affairs of a state through its dynamic institutions on professional lines. The state is like a mother, taking care of its citizens…
A state of many cases
‘Never a dull moment’ is a cliche, even more so for Pakistani politics. How could we have a dull moment when there is a steady stream of cases and audio/video…
‘Leader’ above state?
The last few days and weeks in Pakistan were nothing less than an intense drama. No political thriller can beat what is currently happening in the country. Things that started…
How to shore up the state
Pakistan is a serious nation-state; despite the fact that it may function in a ‘flailing’ way and may have other shortcomings and weaknesses in its structure. However, there have been…
