Courts of law in a pandemicon March 28, 2020Courts around the world are trying to unravel ways in which they may continue with their duties in the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan categorically remarked in a hearing regarding PIA chairman’s appointment that the courts of law in Pakistan would not be shut down no matter what […]
Murky governanceon March 15, 2020When the prime minister went to Davos for the World Economic Forum, he proudly boasted that his government was the most transparent in Pakistan’s history. This was consistent with his rhetoric before he ascended to the prime minister’s office. In nearly every political speech he would promise the nation that he will always speak the […]
Scaling Down Saudi Arabiaon March 6, 2020Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a special relationship in diplomatic parlance. In fact, it is often popularly stated that Pakistan constructs its foreign policy keeping in view three primary allies, the United States, China and Saudi Arabia. Perhaps, this special relationship can be best amplified as one of mutual benefits, wherein Pakistan fulfills Saudi Arabia’s […]
Trapped by Intereston February 25, 2020We are on the verge of disaster, we cannot bear exchange rate instability and so we cannot modulate interest rates, thus we have been stuck in a trap while some individuals have benefited at the country’s loss Its often advised to not change horses in midstream. While the Finance Minister was concluding talks with the […]
The judiciary and political questionson February 17, 2020The judicial activism or restraint that the Supreme Court of Pakistan shows is not dependent on any principle but rather on who the Chief Justice of Pakistan is. Pakistan has seen many twists and turns in the approach of the Apex Court, with Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry leading the Court towards blatant unconstitutionalism and interference in […]
Reforming accountabilityon January 1, 2020The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been a controversial institution, drawing the ire of both who claim it has not done enough and those who claim it has done more than its mandate. Whether NAB has stifled good governance or not and whether the economy can excel with NAB doing its usual cannot have clear-cut […]
A soft revolutionon November 27, 2019It was like a scene from a movie. The prime minister of Pakistan who before his ascension to the top executive office had lambasted other prime ministers for ignoring parliament and not being accountable to it sat in his chambers in the parliament building. He ordered his party cadre in the parliament to get all […]
The Dam Fundon November 20, 2019It’s not like the dam fund was the first appeal for charity by a high office holder of Pakistan for patriotic endeavours. Nawaz Sharif, as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, in 1998 came up with the idea of “qarz utaro, mulk sunwaro” scheme. The people of Pakistan were urged to donate in helping the government […]
Kashmir and Kartarpuron November 16, 2019Pakistan’s foreign secretary recently briefed an 18-member delegation of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) parliamentarians and civil society members on the continuing human rights violations in Kashmir by India. Just a few days ago, the Pakistani Prime Minister called upon the international community to play its role in ensuring an immediate end to the […]
Kashmir: a litmus test for international lawon September 21, 2019The Universal Declaration of Human Rights expresses in clear terms that “Whereas it is essential if a man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law.” In other words, international law as the guarantor […]