Accountability in Naya Pakistan: prosecution or persecution? on December 25, 2018Recent awakening of state institutions and national media against corruption and malpractice has thinned the lines between prosecution and persecution. Media, government and superior judiciary are not upholding the difference between the accused and the convicted. This regrettable tendency is making a mockery of the system of checks and balances which is the core of […]
Extremism: a by product of shortsightedness of military regimes on November 19, 2018State’s reliance on non-state actors to accomplish its foreign and domestic policy objectives has resulted in a divided society. Today, Pakistani society is caught between religious adventurism of 1980s and self-styled project of enlightenment initiated in the country after 9/11.On one hand, we see fanatics glorifying extrajudicial killings while on the other, so-called liberals are […]
Acquittal of Asia Bibi: is it a religious dispute? on November 6, 2018Shortsighted and reactionary responses given to alleged incidents of blasphemy of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) have overshadowed other highly significant teachings of Islam. Besides protecting the honour of the Prophet (PBUH), Islam cherishes the principle of justice and inviolability of life and dignity of individuals. Recent public display of emotionalism in the aftermath of the […]
Superior judiciary: active or activist? on October 30, 2018In modern democracies, judiciary is primarily responsible for dispensation of justice, dispute resolution and interpretation of law. While carrying out these basic responsibilities, judiciary maintains its neutrality and distinction in keeping a check on the executive. This task needs an active but apolitical judicial branch of the government. On the contrary, our activist judiciary is […]
Judicial responsibilities and dam funds on September 17, 2018There is no division of opinion on the urgency of building new dams but a fragile democracy, such as ours, is hardly ready to pay a cost as heavy as the one required to build the Diamer-Bhasha dam. Recent public utterances of the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan in support of the dam fund are […]
This election doesn’t care about education reforms on July 17, 2018The current state of education in Pakistan tells a tale of neglect and inaction, which has lasted more than sixty years. We are only weeks away from the General Elections 2018 and education hardly occupies any room in the ongoing electoral debate on print, electronic,or social media. The faulty designs of higher education with unregulated […]