Knowledge society
Some years ago I came across an article that made an interesting observation about the pre-eminence of Islamic civilisations and how it is rooted in their ability to discover new…
China in Balochistan: Election Outlook-XXI
Seen from Pakistan's perspective, China's presence in Balochistan could be a game-changer or a newly introduced element that changes the existing situation in a highly significant way. Not only does…
Invisible enemy
Pakistan Information Security Association (PISA) recently held a Cyber Security Conference at Islamabad. This paper analyzes key aspects of the discourse, captures important observations and recommends action points for securing…
Restoring power supplies
TALK of efficient and inefficient power generation plants at this stage is largely a red herring. It detracts focus from the main issue. You cannot run a modern economy without…
Patterns of neglect
Malik Ashraf, a labourer from Dera Ghazi Khan, dearly wishes to send his children to school to ensure they have a secure future. However, there is not a single primary…
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…
Energy: tough decisions
The public narrative oversimplifies ways of eradicating load-shedding. Just settle the ‘circular debt’ and improve governance — prevent electricity theft, collect bills on time and install prepaid meters — and…
As we near collapse
With the elections behind us, we can now look ahead to try and shape a better future for ourselves. Priority must now be given to projects that can contribute to…
Is it worth neglecting?
The manifestos of almost all the big political parties vying for power in the forthcoming elections have failed to mention the rural non-farm economy. More than 60 percent of our…
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…
