Democracy still in its infancy
The Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif's statement on Monday, a little over five months after he was appointed, that "Pakistan army upholds the sanctity of all institutions and…
Musharraf and the military
Part - I When the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill was finally submitted in the US Congress in 2009 for approval, it contained two clauses that especially irked the Pakistani military. One dealt…
Pistorius trial highlights inequality of justice
For Charles, a 31-year-old inmate in a prison in Johannesburg, South Africa, the trial of Oscar Pistorius has little to do with justice. "Justice only exists for the rich and…
The image factor
The 'Jamshed Dasti affair' has prompted the pro-democracy elements to come to the rescue of the parliamentarians, and rightly so. But the problem is that recent events have tarnished the…
Improving fiscal management – III
Period from 2008-13 was adjudged as 'financial hara-kiri' by some economists35. "Never in the history of this country has the nation seen such a fiscally irresponsible government. They have maintained…
Where next?
You may have heard of a man called David Cameron. He is prime minister of the UK and arguably even more inept than his immediate predecessors, Messrs Blair and Brown,…
Prestige and poverty
While there is no harm in having the mindset of a 16th century Moghul emperor in a personal capacity even in today’s world, the spending priorities of a democratically-elected government…
From an old playbook
The current crisis in Ukraine was triggered last November when Yanukovych, the then president, turned down an association agreement offered by the EU that included a free-trade deal. The decision,…
Of beaten paths and bleeding budgets
Although the next budget year will start on July 1, both the federal and provincial governments are likely to start preparing their budget estimates for FY15 very soon. The provinces…
Improving fiscal management – II
There is no political will to implementing the above mentioned well-defined fiscal reform agenda, though general consensus on it exists in society. Addiction to borrowed money and lust for wasteful…
