The goal of eliminating inequality
As the 2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, deliberations on the post-2015 development framework have gained momentum. What should replace the MDGs? This is the key question…
Fractured conservatism
Pakistan has become increasingly conservative in recent decades. Conservatives dominate Pakistani politics, and have forced liberal parties to become centrist. However, when political coalitions become too dominating, they often become…
Confronting violent extremists
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced the long-awaited national security policy yesterday, focusing on the operational aspects of governmental response to the threat of violent extremism. Much of what…
New peaks in short-termism
Last week, the Finance Minister admitted that in 2013-14, revenue collection could fall short by Rs 130 billion and, as expected, federal government's development budget has been cut by Rs…
Rationality in Islam
There is a wrong perception in the west that Islam creates hatred, wars, discrimination, violence (especially against women), etc. Yet nothing is further from the truth. This judgement is based…
Aam Aadmi’s missteps
A month after it stormed to power in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party has tarnished its image by taking three false steps. First, its law minister Somnath Bharti and women…
A collaborative media and future shock
The feeding frenzy over Rahul Gandhi’s first ever television interview is yet to end. Every single sound bite and every imaginable angle and contour of the media outing of the…
Battle of ideas
The ideological battle lines drawn in the aftermath of Pakistan’s creation continue to haunt us even today. One recent example of this came when needless fuss was kicked up over…
The feel-good factor
What makes countries tick and sustain high growth rates? Conventional wisdom and experience could never have predicted an economy with a heavy footprint of government (China) to grow at double-digit…
Curse of corruption
Criminals and terrorists evade detection, arrest and punishment by easily operating across international borders, taking full advantage of the reluctance of law-enforcement authorities to engage in complicated and expensive transnational…
