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Sincerity Is Not Enough

Sincerity is not enough

No government in Pakistan has ever inherited a graver and more existentially challenging set of crises and problems than the PML-N-led national government will do when it formally assumes office…

The Treacherous Waters Of Foreign Policy

The treacherous waters of foreign policy

The newly elected National Assembly has held its inaugural session. The short but intense election campaign, which resulted in the convincing victory of the PML-N, demonstrated yet again that the…

What Lies Ahead

What lies ahead

An imperfect electoral exercise copied from western models, our democracy has very little relevance to the local environment or the ‘genius of the people’. The ‘first-past-the-post-system’ does not ascertain the…

Get Agrarian

Get agrarian

Land reforms and the imposition of tax on income derived from agriculture, which is presently exempt in the majority of countries like Pakistan, are two issues that attract a lot…

The Post-US Order

The post-US order

The US loomed large during Pakistan’s election campaign season as leaders pounded their fists, promising an end to American meddling in Pakistan, a return to sovereignty and a refusal of…

Night Watchmen

Night watchmen

As the caretaker governments, federal and provincial, approach completion of their terms by end-May 2013, it becomes relevant to reflect on options for possible improvements to the appointment, functions and…

The Honeymoon Agenda

The honeymoon agenda

PM-elect Nawaz Sharif will have to distinguish between popular politics and the ‘right’ politics this time around. The possibility to deceive an electorate is almost nonexistent. The drubbing received by…

Old Porridge Or Something Different?

Old porridge or something different?

The same food, no matter how rich, day after day...how exciting is that? If monogamy was such a great idea, men’s eyes would not wander. If monotony was such a…

Limits To Privatisation

Limits to privatisation

From the statements of the PML-N leaders (likely to adore federal ministries) a clear hint is that privatising the public sector enterprises (PSEs) would be the focus of the new…

We Know The Answers, But Will They Matter?

We know the answers, but will they matter?

The elections are over. Some parties have lost and some have won. However, there were many irregularities: significant institutions failed to ensure an election the people deserved. The margin of…