A regional approach
THE PTI government as a part of its manifesto has committed to creating a separate province in south Punjab. The demand for more provinces by certain political quarters gained traction…
Litmus tests for devolution
LAST week, the Punjab Assembly passed two pieces of legislation designed to overhaul the system of local government (LG) and administration in the province. The Local Government Act, 2019, and…
Autonomy curbed
ALL federations make foreign affairs a central subject. But none render the states as dependent on the centre as India does. Chief ministers take its permission for travel abroad. As…
Too many planners
RECENTLY, the commissioner Karachi issued a notification dividing the city into three zones: downtown, uptown and old town. Prima facie, it appears to be an attempt to redefine the city’s…
The rats
Much before the term ‘underworld’ was associated with organised urban crime, rats were linked with subterranean activity. They have always had a very bad reputation and are seen as unwelcome…
Televised myth of a Modi wave
TV channels won’t tell you this. If the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) really won the Delhi municipal elections to accord with an ongoing Modi wave across India, as claimed by…
The anomalous rise of Mr Kejriwal
You would have thought that water alone has the anomalous property of expanding when frozen. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal displays a very nearly similar propensity. He ‘expands’ where others…
Dealing with heatwaves
In the summer of 2015, Pakistan faced a deadly heatwave. Temperatures soared to more than 43 degrees celsius accompanied by air depression over the Arabian Sea, which blocked the sea…
Devolution in Punjab
A process, dragged out for two years, is nearing conclusion as Punjab becomes the fourth and final province to instal elected local governments at the district and sub-district levels. Elections…
Hurriyat’s quest
Nearly a quarter century after it was established, and after multiple splits, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference has decided at long last to formulate a considered strategy that is ‘sustainable’.…
