Anatomy of policy making
We are all beneficiaries or victims of public policy. It is our end of the social contract that binds us to the state: giving the government the power to make…
The anatomy of trade deficits
In the first 10 months of the outgoing financial year (FY 2017), a $19.93 billion trade deficit was registered on account of exports worth $17.91 billion and imports that amount…
Anatomy of the petrol crisis
The recent petroleum crisis is illuminating in how this government functions — or doesn’t. A number of conflicting and generally unhelpful assessments have been provided by federal ministers, but with…
Nato’s new missions won’t solve Ukraine, Iraq crises
Nato leaders emerged from a summit in Wales with a plan to protect eastern members from a resurgent Russia, a pledge to reverse the decline in their defence spending, and…
A strong dollar
The rapidly increasing value of the US dollar has had a negative impact on our national economy. The most important factor in determining the value of the dollar is demand…
Friends and enemies
The fate of peace talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains uncertain after the group ended the month-long ceasefire earlier in December, accusing the Pakistani authorities of failing to honour…
Where the limit lies
A notable difference between Donald Trump’s Afghan policy and the policies pursued by his two predecessors is evident in its being bereft of any ideological mooring. The new US administration…
Words and deeds
Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif was right on the money when he said condemnation was too small a word in response to the US drone attack. This attack…
Forgotten Fata
Mohsin Dawar and The policies of the political parties of Pakistan regarding Fata can be best described as opportunistic, stuck in the colonial times, and smacking of indifference. The PTI-led…
Memoirs of an angry warrior
‘Duty’ is an angry and occasionally self-serving account of the four and a half years Robert Gates served as US defence secretary. But the book also offers important insights into…
