Never-ending growth?
The most ambitious internationally agreed plan to make this world a better place are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But during their annual review, nobody dared to admit that…
BISP and social protection
The more than ten-year old social protection scheme, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), has survived its second transfer of power since it was launched in 2008 by the PPP government.…
Water for peace and development
Life without water is inconceivable. Humans are born in water and their body contain about 65 percent water. Life on any planet is not viable without water. Water provides security…
A key to open democracy
THE failure of the federal ministries to properly comply with the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, by making public basic information about their organisations and functions, must be…
Being secondary
IN a recent presentation of my research involving 16- to 18-year-old boys in Pakistan’s state secondary education, I was asked for one important pedagogic lesson for this age group. After…
Towards a promising future
The spring sunshine of April 26, 2019 promised a shared future as world leaders gathered together for the Second Belt and Road Forum to chart the road map for 'connectivity',…
New innovations
THE 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts forward an integrated, broad and ambitious plan for global action on sustainable development. With such enthusiastic targets, the need for innovative, disruptive solutions…
Balochistan example
“AS has been pointed out, Balochistan is the largest province in terms of size and smallest in terms of population. These features offer both challenges and opportunities for development. On…
Autism awareness
THIS year, the UN Observance of World Autism Awareness Day focuses on the use of assistive technologies (AT) and information and communication technologies (ICT) to enable persons with autism to…
Dreams once lost
SAMRA stretches her arms, as do the other schoolgirls during their morning assembly energiser activity. They jump, twist and clap. In several other schools in Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan,…
