ToRs and democratic sustainability
A cautious and unsparing grand opposition has given some leeway to the prime minister for negotiations over its meticulously prepared Terms of Reference (ToRs), instead of collectively demanding his resignation.…
The majority myth
Under Article 91 (4) of the Constitution, the prime minister is elected by the votes of the majority of the total membership of the National Assembly. Does this article ensure…
Standing up to the clerics
When they sat together on a Mansoora table in Lahore on Tuesday, the religious leaders of Pakistan had women on their mind. They deliberated on the Punjab Protection of Women…
The Musharraf farce
Can Pakistan turn around its civil-military imbalance? We have been provided the answer resoundingly. The courts and government have presented a unified position. Former dictator, Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, has…
Squandering away opportunities?
There are no two opinions that the present regime had inherited an extremely fragile economy in June 2013. It inherited a nervous private sector, declining investment-both domestic and foreign-slower economic…
The PTI’s newest mantra
The PTI now plans to go to international forums to amend what it describes as a “stolen electoral verdict”. One thought the rigging controversy would be over after the NA-122…
Low-cost housing stunts
It is the standard practice of our rulers that in areas in which they have little interest, they launch a very small project with a massive publicity campaign so as…
A home of one’s own
Having a shelter of one’s own is considered a basic right. There are numerous international resolutions that recognise this. For example, the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements (1976) recognises adequate…
Beyond error of judgement
Retired general and former MNA Abdul Majeed Malik is in the limelight for his recently published autobiography. Malik was one of the generals who were superseded when Ziaul Haq was…
Economic woes
Pakistan is currently facing one of the worst economic challenges of its history. Almost eight years of continued economic misgovernance have severely damaged the economy beyond recognition. Weak and frivolous…
