Iran moderate’s poll triumph is mandate for change
Iranian voters weary of years of economic isolation and tightening political restrictions threw down a blunt demand for change on Saturday by handing a moderate cleric a landslide victory in…
Budget 2013-14
I was not disappointed by the budget 2013-14 - not because it contained any out-of-th-box thinking or indeed any reform measures that would have changed the economy's direction in the…
China in Balochistan: Election Outlook-XXI
Seen from Pakistan's perspective, China's presence in Balochistan could be a game-changer or a newly introduced element that changes the existing situation in a highly significant way. Not only does…
Choking funds to suppress dissent
Perhaps no other country has as complex a maze of laws and rules – that give arbitrary powers to the state – as India. And no other state has abused…
Indo-China relations
For quite some time, the Chinese top leadership seems to have made it a point – as much as is possible – to visit India and Pakistan back-to-back. In 2006,…
Kashmir is ominously angry
The security bunkers that used to dot Srinagar’s streets for two decades have gone. The oppressive presence of armed security personnel has become less overwhelming. But the shadow of security…
Introspection is in order
The May 11 election results require introspection by all political parties - winners and losers alike - the former on what not to do and the latter on a basic…
An Arab spring in Turkey?
This time last year we finally had our dream of visiting Turkey fulfilled. We spent a rare, serene week in Istanbul or Constantinople as it was once known. Our hotel…
Tax proposals – II
Initial developmental efforts are generally marked by inflationary tendencies in an economy. Inflation, if uncontrolled, may thwart all development plans and bring misery to the poor. A reasonable degree of…
Power crisis
Needless to emphasise that the industrial and overall economic development of any country is inconceivable without energy security, which implies the availability of enough energy resources to cater for the…
