The people must get political
The last few years have been defined by events of monumental proportions, events that caused quite a stir around the world. From the Middle East to Africa to Latin America…
Political jugglers
The whole nation is aware (and sick of) the terrible mess in which our beloved country Pakistan finds itself today. Our younger generation is extremely worried, mostly unemployed and has…
Political jugglers (Part I)
Asadullah Khan Ghalib was an indomitable and versatile figure. He could, in simple verse, express human characteristics in all aspects. The following verse is a masterpiece in describing the contradictions…
Let the specialists plan
As the country is rattled by the deluge, the question that arises is this: Could at least a part of the havoc have been averted? Yes, a good deal of…
Challenges before FBR’s new chairman
FBR (Federal Board of Revenue) has failed to meet original tax targets for the last six fiscal years, three of the coalition government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and rest under…
Local governments
SPEAKING to the First Constituent Assembly in 1947, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah outlined several duties for the government of Pakistan: maintain law and order, root out corruption, act against black…
Supreme stakes: the extra judges debate
A bill is brought before the Senate by a private member. Increase the cap on Supreme Court judges, it demands. Nay, comes the reply. And as the opposition leader gives…
The challenge of IPPs-I
Pakistan’s real economy is failing primarily on account of its energy sector. This author has been raising the alarm for the last two decades. Now even a former caretaker federal…
Inflation: what the govt is doing wrong?
Inflation for the current year, so projected the then finance minister Ishaq Dar in his 9 June 2023 budget speech, would be 21 percent for 2023-24 – revised upward to…
Claims of economic improvement
The narrative of the stakeholders today is that there has been a noticeable uptick in various macroeconomic indicators – those that relate to the productive sectors (agriculture, industry), those that…
