Governance in 2014
Part-II Corruption is not just a cost; it is a curse that deeply affects individuals as well as the state system. It is the single most important obstacle to economic…
Of popular mandates
In all likelihood, 2013 is the only year in Pakistan's 67-year history wherein the closing date for filing tax returns was extended from (the usual September 30) up to December…
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…
In search of prudent economics
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is a well-intentioned leader and seems to be genuinely interested in taking the economy out of its existing state of stagflation, which has made the economic…
Fatca is here! Part- I
The US government is going around the world to find and catch US citizens and green card holders who earn income and accumulate wealth outside the country. The Americans are…
New Year thoughts
The New Year brings old thoughts to mind. This time, our dear country, that we have grown to love and hate in the same breath, that has given us so…
Market-friendly?
Governments in developing countries are increasingly being accused of policies and practices that favour cronies and party loyalists in allocation of scarce resources. They do this blatantly in the name…
The story of devolution
In 2001 then president Pervez Musharraf introduced the Local Government Ordinance, 2001. A giant leap towards the establishment of a powerful representative local government, the law literally stripped provinces of…
The failing charade
The hallmark of Pakistan's democratic governments has been their desire to rule (not govern) Pakistan in an imperial style, which eventually leads to their exit. Ever since PML-N has assumed…
The fourth transition
With Tassaduq Hussain Jillani’s elevation to chief justice of Pakistan, the country has completed a third transition this year. A historic political transition saw power transferred from one elected government…
