Threat to constitutional order?
In an unfortunate ruling, which went unheeded, the Lahore High Court (LHC) restrained the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) from launching their marches. One wishes the…
What drama!
Tahirul Qadri has finally made a theatrical return to Pakistan, with a media circus following his every move and the government doing everything to stop the 'revolution' he has been…
What electoral reforms are needed?
More than two-thirds of almost 814 million voters turned out to vote in the latest Indian election. The political parties accepted the result, congratulated the winner and moved on. No…
Did they or didn’t they?
There are numerous questions that need to be asked in the Hamid Mir assassination attempt episode. The most obvious one is what everyone's talking about – was it the Inter…
Budget 2014-15: Essential tax reforms – I
"If we want lower taxes for growth, then spending must be curtailed so that governments won't need so much money. The next time you hear a politician promise another tax…
Do we need the Rangers?
Every state requires a border control force, normally a para military force. In Pakistan, the border control forces include: the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab and Sindh), Frontier Corps (Balochistan and KP)…
No absolution for Gujarat massacre
Ever since Ahmedabad magistrate BJ Ganatra rejected Zakia Jafri’s petition in the Gujarat carnage case in December and held that Chief Minister Narendra Modi was not part of the “larger…
The busman’s court in Taliban-hit Pakistan
Sweat pours down Judge Fazal Wadood's back as he sits perched behind a desk inside a custom-built green bus that is the latest weapon in the battle against Taliban influence…
Suppressed reports
Governments set up inquiries to allay public disquiet; whether over a financial scandal, a case of ministerial corruption or a military disaster. But, with the proverbial shortness of public memory,…
Sheer ignorance of law?
Ignorantia juris non excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat (Latin for "ignorance of the law does not excuse" or "ignorance of the law excuses no one") is a legal principle…
