Victims of foreign policy
When the interests of the ruling elite need protection through legal cover, parliament acts in an extra-efficient manner. However, when the interests of Pakistani women need protection, such as through…
Eternal wait for review
Since the Nato strike on the Salala check post, Islamabad has been undertaking a ‘review’ of the partnership with the US through parliament. The rationale provided by the government: the…
Little to celebrate
The 18th Amendment was supposed to have cleansed the Constitution of the distortions and perversions introduced by Musharraf through the 17th Amendment, restore a parliamentary system of government and establish…
VAT Bill 2010
The government of Pakistan has introduced Federal Value Added Tax Bill 2010 (VAT) in the Parliament, which will replace Sales Tax Act, 1990 from First of July 2010.The bill is…
Democracy the only solution
The PPP-led coalition government and the members of the parliament have the mandate of the people through the elections and would protect democracy. The masses had paid a huge price…
Congress in crisis
After its 2009 parliamentary victory, the Indian National Congress was confident that it would win the next national elections due in 2014 and also rule in all but a handful…
Ethnicity and ICC cases heat up Kenya presidential race
Alliances forged by Kenya's main presidential contenders for elections in March are lining up a repeat of a largely ethnic-based contest for political power which exploded into bloodshed in the…
Fata
An issue that should have been debated in parliament was the subject of an international conference – the status and future of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Reforms to…
Women’s role in legislation
Recently, as parliaments around the world celebrated the International Day of Democracy on Sept 15, I found myself wondering how democratic Pakistan’s parliamentarians actually are in representing women in parliament.…
After the 18th Amendment
The constitutional amendments come amidst a series of crises that the enactment of the 18th amendment can do little to mitigate the sufferings of the masses. The absence of Nawaz…
