Data as important public good
Public good, in economics, refers to something useful for the public that has two major properties: it is 'non-excludable' and its 'non-rivalrous'. The former pertains to the aspect that nobody…
Coconut Republic
A stitch in time saves nine. We know this. What we often overlook is that if there is no stitch in time it will cost nine. Or nineteen. Or 90.…
A Panama republic
This week we have been distracted by the political storm raised by the Panama Papers, because the leaks have also spotlighted the family of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Imran Khan…
Viewpoint: The gathering of troublemakers
Sheikhul Islam Allama Tahirul Qadri of Canada has been busy collecting like-minded elements as he prepares for his January 14 rabble rousing march on Islamabad. The MQM has been an eager…
Silence, succession, strategy
When Nawaz Sharif took over the presidency of the PML-N from his younger brother, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, it sparked hope for the party’s revival and reactivation. However, ten months…
Siege mentality
BARRICADING the capital, using cargo containers to block roads, closing highways, breaking up protest rallies, banning public gatherings, arresting opposition supporters, raiding homes of opposition leaders, policing the media, orchestrating internet outages,…
Playing politics with May 9
THE latest wave of arrests of senior PTI leaders following the party’s recent show of strength in Islamabad is a reminder of the escalating political tension in the country. What is happening…
The PTI in Islamabad
ON Sunday, the PTI was able to hold a jalsa in Islamabad. More than a year after its troubles began on May 9, 2023, and the party contested an election…
Dismissing the Constitution
THIS is an extraordinary phase of Pakistan’s political life. None of the five directly elected legislatures are in place and both the federation and the four provinces are being governed…
Institutional police response
IN the past year, there has been a record spike in attacks by the TTP and Baloch separatists on Pakistan’s law-enforcement agencies. Over this period, more than 100 policemen were…
