Maligning taxpayers
Our politicians and their crony bureaucrats keep on maligning taxpayers while the so-called "informed" analysts and all-knowing (sic) TV anchors join the bandwagon with often-repeated popular jargon that only "1%…
Acid survivors and Facebook updates
How can I not love Orya Maqbool Jan, civil servant turned columnist and media celebrity, who makes me feel that Pakistan is not only equal to the somewhat developed but…
Rethinking justice
The killing of at least 20 students and staff of Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, disturbingly reminiscent of the attack a year ago on the Army Public School in Peshawar,…
PM’s claims and the realities
On January 22, while addressing a group of investors in Davos, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif painted a glamorous picture of Pakistan - an achievement for which his speech writer deserves…
Why America is hated
One hears a good deal of whining in Washington about how the United States has no real friends in the developing world. I don’t know why people here are surprised…
Misrule of lawa
The rule of law is considered to be grounded in four principles: universal accountability, the protection of fundamental rights (including security of persons), fair and due process, and the impartiality…
NAP: the right questions
The government confines its performance evaluation on the National Action Plan to the number of arrests made and raids conducted, not realising that NAP is much more than that. It…
Combating the financing of terrorism
Channeling money through 'hound' and avoiding the legitimate financial system is one of the best methods of "whitening" dirty money. In layman's words, money-laundering is conversion of dirty money into…
Trying terrorists: myths & reality
Terrorism is considered the most urgent public issue facing Pakistan. In popular public discourse about terrorism, the role of the courts that are dealing with terrorism cases is considered to…
Soft coups
Pakistan is experiencing a ‘soft coup’ where the military has partially hobbled the Balochistan, Sindh and central governments. Soft coup is a journalistic concept, since there is little academic work…
