Economics or brutal politics?
While presenting the budget 2010-11, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh pointed out that Pakistan’s public-sector enterprises (PSEs) were not only inefficient, poorly managed and bleeding profusely, but were a…
Strawberry fields
‘Living is easy with eyes closed’ so runs a line from the song ‘Strawberry fields forever’ by John Lennon. A read of the rest of the lyrics suggests that this…
Populist labour laws – II
Recently the President of Pakistan expressed his grievances against the activities of the trade union in PIA. The old saying: "better late than never" applies in full force. This government…
We’re isolated?
In the world of Pakistani diplomacy, if there is no statement from Washington in six months praising Pakistan, then this means “international” isolation? In the real world, however, Pakistan did…
Behind the Afghan imbroglio
Moscow offered to train a few officers of an Afghan law-enforcement agency. Kabul was ready to accept the offer, but the US killed the proposal. After the rebuff, the Russian…
Remaking or unmaking Pakistan?
Pakistan badly needs overhaul and uplift to rescue and revive it. Through decades of misrule and mismanagement, it has suffered grievous harm. A way has to be found to arrest…
America’s ‘new deal’
THE US has a new president-elect, Barack Obama. He is the first black man to be elected to the office of the president
Trial of terror suspects?
Ajmal Kasab’s conviction and sentencing to death came as no surprise. The Pakistani Foreign Office mumbled a muted response, promising to study the judgment in detail. Indians meanwhile celebrated the…
Trade and governance
The human suffering and economic devastation caused by Pakistan’s floods have given added weight to Islamabad’s long-standing struggle to secure better trade access to European Union (EU) markets. Pakistan certainly…
Getting back to the negotiating table
It is not going to be easy but both Washington and Islamabad will be working hard to arrive at some kind of arrangement to handle the Afghan situation in 2012.…
