How Pakistan’s VPN ban undermines rights
Over the past year, Pakistan has teetered on the edge of digital oppression, and the proposed ban on ‘unregistered’ VPNs could be the tipping point toward becoming a fully mass-surveilled…
Judiciary’s debacle
ON the International Day of Democracy in September, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extolled the virtues of democracy, calling it the “cornerstone of a just and progressive society” and stressing continued efforts to…
Countering terror — beyond labels
During the past few weeks, terrorists affiliated with the TTP), Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) have been referred to by Pakistani authorities as Khawarij. This term,…
The 26th Amendment in judicial focus: Part – II
After the ouster of Imran Khan as prime minister through a no-confidence motion in April 2022, the judicial landscape became even murkier. While there were over 55,000 cases pending in…
Unpacking the amendment
SUCCESSIVE governments and parliaments in Pakistan have appeared obsessed with constitutional amendments related to the judiciary, especially the superior judiciary. Our parliament has so far passed 23 constitutional amendments. Formally…
Case of the missing poet
YET another case of alleged enforced disappearance has demonstrated the impunity granted to certain forces in the country, which consider themselves above the law in an increasingly repressive dispensation. Ahmad…
Limits of coercion
IT is widely believed that Pakistan’s geostrategic location has been a great asset for the country. But it has also been an enormous challenge. In fact, the tyranny of geography…
Global gangsters
REMEMBER the letter written by six judges of the Islamabad High Court alleging interference by intelligence agencies and state actors? The list of complaints included allegations of illegal surveillance of…
Limits of coercion
IT is widely believed that Pakistan’s geostrategic location has been a great asset for the country. But it has also been an enormous challenge. In fact, the tyranny of geography…
Chinese advice
PAKISTAN’S law-enforcement agencies have completed the investigation of the Dasu terrorist attack carried out against Chinese nationals in March, in record time. This is, indeed, a remarkable achievement, but it does not…
