Engaging Modi
THE invitation to Nawaz Sharif and other Saarc leaders from Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi to attend his inauguration was even more surprising than his landslide electoral victory. To put it…
A lost opportunity
While the federal budget for 2014-15 is technically the second budget presented by the PML-N government, for all practical purposes it is the first. Last year, the government had only…
To make the state strong
The ongoing travails of Pakistan seemingly arise from multiple sources but if we distil such sources to one common factor then it should be the low capacity of the state…
Portents from Afghanistan’s election
Next Saturday the Afghans will be going to the polls in the runoff of the election to choose their next president. The two names on the ballot paper will be…
A historic day
This is a continuation of my last two columns containing facts about our nuclear programme. Here I am producing the second part of Ghulam Ishaq’s letter. “Some foreign countries, with…
In remembrance
ABDULLAH Haroon is remembered year after year for his notable contributions not only to the Pakistan Movement and the political role he played in this, but also for contributing to…
Stumbling transition
SILLY season it may be, but that doesn’t mean it means nothing or that there aren’t any consequences. The government isn’t falling. There is no coup happening. Life will go…
Political oligopoly
Oligopoly is a term used in economics to define the dominance of the market by a small number of large firms that can collude to control the supply and determine…
The hydel vision
Pakistan continues to be afflicted by the worst power outages, which have grave consequences for the economy. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the energy crisis is responsible for…
Who rules Pakistan?
Politicians, media, judiciary and militants have gradually challenged the military’s hold on politics. Its recent tiffs with civilians and the media highlight these trends and raise questions about who really…
