Lofty goals, little vision
The economy is in a deep mess with low rates of savings, investment and growth, high rates of monetary expansion and inflation, large budget and current account deficits, a huge…
The rise and fall of national politics
“I apologise for not visiting Sindh”, said Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan before a large crowd in Karachi recently. He then went on to create a controversy by adding he would…
War? With this team?
We are in a state of war, even if Punjab and the national leadership from Punjab find it excruciatingly difficult to recognise this reality. From 1947 onwards the land of…
It’s all about jobs
The biggest problem faced by millions across Pakistan is unemployment. I am constantly bombarded with requests to get a son or nephew a job, preferably in a government department. Recently,…
Too little, too late
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government has finally indicated it will use force against select bands of the local Taliban militants after months of indecisiveness and inaction. The mantra of peace…
View Point: New Pak-Saudi terms of endearment
Two interesting visitors came calling this month from a brotherly Muslim country. First to arrive was the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal to lay down the groundwork for what…
Populist rice scheme adds to Thai government’s woes
Besieged by anti-government protests in Bangkok for the past three months, embattled caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is facing another challenge in the countryside, from more than a million angry…
Terrorist attack keeps Kabul restaurant patrons at bay
"These two people are our only guests since last Friday," says restaurant owner Mohammad Iqbal Aziz, pointing to a couple in the middle of Le Bistro, in a fortified area…
Principles of interpreting contracts
Quite frequently what was thought to be a well drafted contractual document turns out to be an ambiguous document which no one had imagined. It so happens because the same…
Indo-Pak trade
In January, at the end of a week-long visit to India by Pakistan's Commerce Minister and negotiations with his Indian counterpart, both countries agreed to allow round-the-clock movement of goods…
