Paralyzing parliamenton July 12, 2019National Assembly Speaker has no powers to conduct or supervise the meetings of the standing committees.Under Article 66 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, privileges of the members of the parliament are laid down. The article clearly states that there shall be freedom of speech in the parliament, and no member shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of … [Read more...] about Paralyzing parliament
History seen repeating itself in Faez Isa caseon June 13, 2019In the Mir Hassan case of 1969, some defendants stood trial before a martial law-created special judge in Rawalpindi. The defendants in the case filed an acquittal application on legal grounds before the West Pakistan High Court alleging that proceedings against them were politically motivated, and they did not engage in conduct that could result in conviction for the offence. Those applications … [Read more...] about History seen repeating itself in Faez Isa case
Game of exportson June 3, 2019Pakistan's exports to China stand at $1.7 billion and imports at $15 billion. The gap between these exports and imports has decreased in the last few months, but understandably, the import-export gap is still gargantuan.US imports from China amount to $540 billion, while Chinese imports from the US amount to $120 billion. The import-export gap for Pakistan to China is double the US-China gap. … [Read more...] about Game of exports
Choosing the chairmanon May 22, 2019Ruling on a petitoin against the appointment of Ali Arshad Hakeem as chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue in 2013, the Islamabad High Court held it illegal and ordered the government to appoint a more suitable person in his place. The petitioner, Ashfaq Ahmed, was a grade 19 officer of the Board. The court noted that the appointment had been made without a competitive process. This was … [Read more...] about Choosing the chairman
Authentic Islamic law can help global peaceon May 4, 2019Muslims make up a majority of the population in 49 countries of the world. Some form of Sharia law is in force in some of these countries. Even in countries where Sharia law is not nominally in force it has had an influence on the development of laws comparable to that of Judaic law on Western legal tradition.Terrorism and war crimes have been rampant in the Muslim world for quite some time … [Read more...] about Authentic Islamic law can help global peace
Defining terrorism – IIon April 8, 2019A major issue with the definition of terrorism in the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 is its inconvenient inclusiveness. The definition is so broad that a large number of cases end up in the special anti-terrorism courts. The state machinery is thus overburdened and some of the most important terrorism cases are delayed. This has also led to the establishment of military courts that have been hearing … [Read more...] about Defining terrorism – II
Defining terrorism – Ion April 7, 2019The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on the definition of 'terrorism'. The ruling will determine which crimes can be prosecuted under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.It may be helpful to review the meaning assigned to 'terrorism' in international jurisprudence. One can safely assert that while there is no universally agreed definition, a certain meaning can be discerned by looking at how … [Read more...] about Defining terrorism – I
Benami Act 2017; all glitter, no goldon March 27, 2019Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 2017 was passed with much patronage and endorsement by sections of the bureaucracy, lawyers and the media. The objective of the law is simple; prohibit holding Benami property, restrict the right to transfer Benami properties and provide a mechanism to confiscate Benami properties. What needs to be understood here is the meaning of the word Benami, even … [Read more...] about Benami Act 2017; all glitter, no gold
Who will watch the watchmen?on March 12, 2019It's a constitutional paradox, used over a plethora of events and circumstances.The phrase simply begs the question where accountability would stop? Socrates used it in relation to a guardian class of society, in modern terms it may mean the police. An institution to restrain crime, but who holds them accountable if they engage in criminal acts? Would the creation of another institution help? What … [Read more...] about Who will watch the watchmen?
Can India really stop Pakistan’s water?on February 26, 2019The Modi government has once again started threatening Pakistan, and is simultaneously building up domestic political support by announcing that it will divert the water from the Eastern Rivers from following into Pakistan. This announcement is a façade. Under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), these three rivers, Sutlej, Beas and Ravi already belong to India and they can be used exclusively by India. … [Read more...] about Can India really stop Pakistan’s water?
