A colourful medley
Those dreading chaos and confusion in the wake of Pakistan`s upcoming elections should take heart: Italy is vivid proof that going to the polls can be a messy exercise, prompting…
Dual nationality
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is engaged in drafting and seeking approval where required, of a set of rules for prospective candidates, some based on court decisions, for the…
WT O`s new challenge
The Doha round of trade talks has long dominated the agenda of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). An urgent priority for the organisation`s 157 members, however, is to appoint a…
The Punjab factor
The persistent structural flaws in information processing and coordination among intelligence and law-enforcement agencies were once again exposed during the Supreme Court suo motu hearing of the Hazara killings. The…
Limits of strategy
The government can influence the growth rate primarily by providing an adequate physical and social infrastructure and creating the policy and institutional environment for privatesector investment. The reasons for the…
Land rights and democracy
Some months ago, Dr Muzaffar A. Issani, writing to this paper, had taken a critical view of how land rights are understood. While his take on feudalism might have been…
Pakistan`s dilemma
The Pakistani establishment has been as much a victim of its successes as it has of its failures over the years. The Afghan policy during the 1990s that manufactured the…
Dereliction of diplomatic norms
Adam Thomson, Her Britannic Majesty’s High Commissioner in Pakistan, could do with a refresher course on diplomacy. He told a select group of journalists at his residence in Islamabad on…
Costly appeasement
The past week has left the Pakistanis grappling with two serious issues: they cannot protect the Hazara Shias of Quetta, nor can they resist the armed extremists. The result of…
Our ‘Renaissance class’
You, probably, have never heard the name Qamar Yourish. When he lived amidst poverty-stricken people on the streets of old Lahore, the rich culture of which inspires you to write,…
