Andleeb Abbas

Have we lost all sense of shame? Have we lost the ability to feel and move? Have we lost all hope and aspirations? It seems that the very act of being human is too much to ask from a society where only geographical and emotional earthquakes shake us up. The incident in Kasur is not […]

The term economic conman is better understood when we look at what is being claimed and what the figures show. According to our finance minister, Pakistan is on its way to becoming an investor’s haven and a progress model. Every media interview and statement highlights how the GDP growth has increased, how the deficit is […]

Does the law make exceptions for follies and crimes committed due to incompetence? Do organisation policies forgive and overlook missed goals and targets due to incapability of their workforce? Do ethical, moral or intellectual standards permit laxness resulting in costly errors? The normal response to these questions is a universal no. However, when it comes […]

It has caused a political storm. How dare any institution have the gall to question a politician’s source of income, assets and dealings? First, it was the audacious Rangers and now the outrageous National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Beginning with the erratic attack by Altaf Hussain on being targeted by the Rangers and the fury of […]

The power of people should always be more than the people in power. Rarely has this statement describing true democracy been more on display than in the recent referendum in Greece. A country on the verge of bankruptcy, a country where banks have shut down due to a liquidity crunch, a country whose membership in […]

A billion bucks scandal, the big and powerful suppressing the poor and powerless, Spiderman intervenes and hounds them, dons and mafiosi escape leaving room for the next sequel. This is not a Hollywood fantasy but Pakistani reality. This has been the live and running serial going on in Pakistan for over six decades. Every government […]

You are innocent until proved guilty. This is a rule of justice and fair play. However, in many parts of the world and especially in Pakistan, this rule seems to have been changed to mean that you are innocent, even when you are proved guilty. This interpretation of the rule not only exists in politics, […]

Try bringing a change in any institution without first changing laws and without ensuring that these laws are being followed across the board; the result would be chaos and failure. Governance is all about ensuring effective delivery of service through constant improvement in performance. The budget is a reflection of the performance of a country […]

The holding of local bodies elections was quite an event. The fact that it was held after almost 10 years in the country was a milestone everybody thought was worth celebrating. The fact that it turned out to be a gigantic exercise of facilitating nearly 42,000 seats was also debatable. The fact that it was […]

After some twists and turns international cricket has made a comeback in Pakistan. The sheer joy of seeing Qaddafi stadium full of people from all parts and segments of Pakistan waving, singing and enjoying was a reflection of how strong is the feeling in Pakistani hearts to make this country look and feel normal. The […]