Sharif in Wonderland
It may have not been difficult for Nawaz Sharif to reclaim the top position. But he certainly does not appear comfortable there. His morose demeanour portrays a man in deep…
What governments do and why
A Seminal book of the 20th century, at least for academics, was An Economic Theory of Democracy, published in 1957. In it, Anthony Downs applied economic theory to the study…
Imperfect democracy
Holding parliamentary elections in about 60 days from a standing start, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) says that ‘local bodies’ polls cannot be held soon for various reasons. Informed…
Thoughts at the end of Ramazan
This year Ramazan corresponded with July and August as it did in 610 AD when, in the last third of the holy month, the revelation of the sacred Quran began…
Islamists under fire
How time flies! Ramazan is nearly gone and Eid is here before one could really celebrate the blessed month. This has been another Ramazan spent away from home and loved…
The path is through the village
The rural landscape in Pakistan has witnessed profound economic changes since the Green Revolution of the 1960s. Consequently, most of the traditional village occupations became redundant due to fast-paced socio-economic…
Mistaken priorities
Nawaz Sharif’s long-promised address to the nation last Monday, his first after being elected prime minister, had been in the works for more than two months. No one had thought…
Parties and the people
The Indian government is working on a bill with unanimous support to nullify a ruling by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that political parties fall within the ambit of the…
The internal crisis
The annual survey of ‘failed states’ covering 2012 has just appeared in Foreign Policy. Using data on elements such as ‘demographic pressures’, ‘refugees’, ‘public services’, ‘economic decline’, ‘factionalised elites’, ‘security…
Process and outcomes
Prospects have brightened for an early resumption of the Pakistan-India normalisation process as a result of several developments that have taken place since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif assumed power. Diplomatic…
