Population in 2024
Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world, bids farewell to 2024 – and yet the unfinished population growth business concerns politicians, leaders, academics, and development practitioners. As the…
Fiscal crisis and reset
Pakistan’s fiscal system has long been under immense strain due to the mounting pressure of borrowing and the substantial portion of revenue being diverted towards debt servicing, and 2024 was…
Nuclear exceptionalism
The US has imposed sanctions on four entities allegedly involved in nuclear proliferation. These include the National Development Complex (NDC) and three Karachi-based companies: Affiliates International, Akhtar and Sons Private…
Child protection
A FEW weeks ago, an 11-year-old girl in Karachi was kidnapped, tortured, raped, and murdered. Her body was discarded in a garbage dump. The Sindh Police responded swiftly, and apprehended…
How big fossil-fuel-producing countries export emissions abroad
Black dust coats streets and collects on rooftops in the neighbourhood adjoining a sprawling cement factory in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. Activists and local residents accuse the plant operated…
Human rights begin with women
On December 10, as the world commemorates Human Rights Day, Pakistan finds itself at the intersection of two critical anniversaries: the celebration of universal human rights and the ongoing battle…
On coercive control
IT is not news anymore that women live in a moment where male anger and violence is a constant threat. Everywhere in the world, women are being subjected to violence…
Constitutional crossroads
The 26th Amendment to Pakistan’s constitution is more than a procedural adjustment – it represents a seismic shift in the balance of power between parliament and the judiciary. Passed with…
From Paris to Baku – lessons from COP29
The much-anticipated COP29 in Baku concluded with the ‘Baku Breakthrough, setting the stage for COP30 in Belem, Brazil. Let me build a longish context starting from COP21, the Paris Agreement,…
In-house instead of out-house reforms
Pakistan has received the most International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes (23 to date) than any other country in the world, not including the imminent approval of the 7 billion-dollar Extended…
