Flawed Model of Development on January 2, 2024The federation of Pakistan has hitherto adopted a faulty model of development for Gwadar. What the state bureaucracies fail to understand is the inability of infrastructure-led development without participation of the local population to achieve the intended outcomes. This is evident from a purely marginal impact the construction of a deep seaport and related road […]
Forced conversions and marriages of Hindu girls on December 15, 2020The Pakistani state is failing to protect human rights of the women belonging to religious minorities. In Sindh, the second largest province of Pakistan, abductions and forced conversions of Hindu girls frequently occur despite growing outrage from local and international civil society organizations. According to reports by women rights groups, some 20 non-Muslim girls are […]
Maritime arena: an untapped resource on June 2, 2020With a sizeable seafront. a large Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf. Pakistan is blessed with abundant marine resource potential for innovation and economic growth. It is believed that Pakistan’s maritime zones are rich in living and non-living resources. However. sea blindness, little to no public-private partnership, dearth of marine research and development (R&D) […]
Crisis tourism and politicization of disaster on May 29, 2020The tragic crash of flight PK8303 in a residential area close to Karachi airport seemed to attract many attention seeking public personalities. Several prominent figures visited the crash site and made media appearances in the middle of rubble with their dozens of companions. These include politicians, philanthropists, social activists, civil and military bureaucracy and showbiz […]
Aurat March, morality and society on March 9, 2020Aurat March has exposed the fragility of masculine ego. It is astonishing to see that a supposedly benign slogan – my body, my rights – can offend the “male-stream” so badly that it has taken upon itself to halt the advance of women’s movement. Both social and electronic media are flooded with impulsive and hostile […]
Pakistan: a democracy without a functional parliament on February 13, 2020The rise of democracy in Great Britain coincided with the rise of parliament. Pakistan’s political history, however, is altogether a different tale. From constituent assembly of 1947 to the incumbent Majlis-i-Shura, we witness but a deliberate emasculation of public representatives. Political engineering through experimenting with constitution, stealing elections and imposing direct or indirect military rule […]
Kashmir crisis: injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere on August 24, 2019The inability of contemporary international regime to redress human rights violations in occupied State of Jammu & Kashmir (IOK) will have serious repercussions for global war against terrorism and extremism. India has systematically denied basic rights to the people of IOK and is reportedly heading for demographic change after unilaterally revoking special status of the […]
US-Iran conflict and Pakistan’s maritime interests on June 19, 2019The recent attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, and the subsequent harsh exchange between Iran and the US, clearly indicate that any miscalculation can trigger a full-scale war that may engulf the entire Indian Ocean Region. Such incidents can only sharpen the divide in the Muslim world on one hand, and […]
The Christchurch carnage: lessons to learn on March 18, 2019The massacre of dozens of Muslim immigrants in a relatively serene part of the globe exposes the fragility of peace in our troubled world. The tragedy is also indicative of our deceptive and shallow comprehension of extremism and militancy. The us-led global war against terror has caused much damage to multiculturalism in western world while […]
All is ripe for judicial reforms on January 28, 2019Justice Khosa’s address to the full court reference a day before his swearing in as Chief Justice of Pakistan has revived hopes in superior judiciary. After years, judicial leadership has manifested an informed desire to collaborate with other state organs for a “Charter of Governance” based in constitutional doctrine of separation of power. Besides admitting […]