Joy of giving
PAKISTAN is a bundle of contradictions. We have acquired the latest technologies in medical fields. But we have failed to keep pace with these changes. In fact, socially, we have…
Water as a symbol
WATER is critical for life on earth. This is a well-known fact. However what is less known is that this scarce resource is being carelessly used globally. Recognising these issues,…
Modesty in men
AN interview of young Middle Eastern men was uploaded on Facebook some months ago, with the aim to assess their views on their wives and sisters. It was tragic but…
Interesting books
I receive a few books by mail every day and almost all the authors hope that I will write review them in my column which, of course, is not possible.…
Cycle of perverse incentives
The greatest challenge Pakistan faces today is not its tax-to-GDP ratio, or fiscal deficit, or corruption, or any of other semantics we loosely throw around. These are just fires that…
The population challenge
Thomas L Friedman has written a book in which he says: “In the world that is getting hot, flat and crowded, the task of creating the tools, systems, energy resources,…
From cooperation to collaboration
The kidnapping and murder of S P Tahir Dawar, the foiled attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, and the suicide attack in the lower Orakzai Agency highlight the existing…
Poetic madness and modernity
The 140th birth anniversary of Allama Muhammed Iqbal saw many articles and essays being published in national dailies about the different facets of his personality and thought. The diversity of…
Religious and political books
It is the sacred month of Ramazan and we have entered the second phase leading towards its completion. Many books have been published on religious matters and I would like…
Need for new income tax law – I
When the then government of General Pervez Musharraf decided to promulgate a new income tax law in 2000, many opposed it strongly. The main objection was that his regime had…
