The education cul-de-sac
Despite decades of reforms, Pakistan’s education system remains in a state of perma-crisis. In an era of rapid technological transformation, the nation continues to grapple with children not attending school,…
Austerity plans?
The outrageous raise in the salaries of Punjab Assembly members has left people bewildered. The increase is completely out of proportion and shocking for sensibilities of a nation where many…
‘Thingification’
IT is another world — quite literally. Nasa has been releasing footage taken by rovers on the surface of Mars. Among the most striking clips is one which provides a…
Democracy’s missing half
The global movement for gender equality has driven change across many sectors, but political representation remains one of the most formidable challenges. Although women make up nearly half of the…
On a heap of garbage
Not too long ago, I participated in an interesting conversation about the legal profession on the sideline of a conference in Lahore. At one point, a prominent lawyer looked me…
Caretaker system’s future
THE national sentiment seems to be strongly opposed to the continuation of the current constitutional arrangement of appointing caretaker governments at the federal and provincial level when the legislatures are…
Deniable truths
THEY are all dead: the feisty Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci and her 14 interviewees — prominent amongst them Henry Kissinger, King Hussein of Jordan, Yasser Arafat, Mrs Golda Meir, Indira…
Divide and rule
THE project of weakening political parties in Pakistan seems to be on track, with tricks and interventions ensuring that no one political party wins a majority in parliament. The record…
A work in progress
DURING the past 50 years, the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan has been amended 23 times — an amendment every two years on average. This is no surprise as the constitution…
Budget and parliament
IN Pakistan, this time of the year is a regular reminder of how farcical the role of parliament has become when it comes to ensuring that the annual budget reflects…
