Senate polls & political malaise
RECENT controversies over the form and nature of the Senate election lay bare some long-standing and fundamental problems with Pakistan’s political landscape. The first, and what some may call the…
Pakistan and the Afghan peace process
On December 2, the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban announced that they had made a breakthrough in the Intra-Afghan Dialogue. The two parties have concluded a written agreement that…
Dichotomy or political consensus?
The year 2020 will be critical for both the government and the opposition. This will be the year in which our country can be put on the path of prosperity…
Due process
GEN Pervez Musharraf’s trial is one of the most significant trials in Pakistan’s recent history. It is extraordinary that a former head of the armed forces is being tried for…
Promoting culture of political integrity
What happens when a politician writing a law on garbage disposal happens to own shares in a company that specializes in disposing of garbage? Or, if that company has donated…
Apolitical youth
DESPITE the economy, geopolitics, the climate — despite it all — Pakistan’s major cities are abuzz. There are theatre, food, literary, and film festivals. Art biennales and gallery openings. New…
Finance Bill 2017: Why tax exemption for political parties?
In a country where the Finance Minister is accused of money laundering [What did Ishaq Dar 'confess' to during the Hudaibiya Paper Mills reference in 2002, Dawn, April 20, 2017]…
Political prisoner?
WITH Nawaz Sharif out on medical bail, many ask if a convict deserves such unusual relief. They say this may be the first time a convict in Pakistan got such…
TLP’s political future
SOME interesting disclaimers were circulating on social media after the security forces’ recent crackdown on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists in Punjab. These were clippings of print media advertisements, attributed…
Political economy of the ME policy
It was agreements and protocols galore – eight to be precise – during the high-profile visit of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), the first in line to the Saudi…
