Foreign policy choices
DESPITE the high quality of its diplomats, Pakistan’s diplomacy has fallen on hard times. The country has long been in a state of crisis. And a troubled domestic front undermines…
Season of political realignments
WHAT does the recent flurry of political activity signify? A new and more intense phase of political manoeuvring? Stepped up efforts by political parties to mobilise support to strengthen their…
Stagnation of political sphere
A FEW weeks ago, my father, who often catches up on news programmes he has missed via YouTube, began to watch one such show. Almost 15 minutes into the programme…
Political market
THIS story is about a country where the elites completely control politics and the economy. The elites are disproportionately overrepresented in parliament as money literally buys votes. The elites also…
Geopolitical chessboard
MOMENTOUS developments spearheaded by China’s dramatic rise, growing Sino-US rivalry, an assertive Russia, and the emergence of new centres of power in Asia, Africa and Latin America are reshaping the…
Masochism as policy
I’D like to tell you a story, though forgive me, it’s one you’ve heard before. Several times in fact, and yet inexplicably, infuriatingly, its key assertion is still subject to…
About political homeopathy
THE idea that the left alone can defeat the right has become unconvincing. On the contrary, it’s often the left that is forced to don the robe of the right…
Policy games we play
WHY do governments fail to do what they say they want to do? Any student of public policy will testify that policy is not what they say they will do…
Economic policy, federal budget and role of opposition
‘…the existence of the opposition is ‘nearly the most distinctive characteristic of democracy’. In parliamentary democracies, since government and parliamentary majorities often coincide, the opposition is expected to function as…
European IPOs fizzle out as political turmoil roils stocks
The European IPO market is unlikely to see any new candidates until after the summer, as political uncertainty has roiled markets, bankers said. This week Italian luxury sneaker brand Golden…
