Standing behind institutions on September 2, 2018After 41 years (July 1977 to July 2018) the Zia era is finally coming to an end. A resurgent Pakistan is coming out of the dark ages, but with non-functional institutions. The khakis have finally realized that they have to stand behind and not in front of civilian institutions, to keep them going. The nation […]
A new IMF bailout is not the answer on August 27, 2018Since the late 1980s, Pakistan has availed 12 IMF bailout packages with disastrous results. Now the 13th is being considered as the external debt has spiralled to $92 billion. To ease the pressure of payments, the government plans to borrow $11.6 billion in 2018-19. According to Dr.Ishrat Hussain, Ex-Governor of State Bank of Pakistan and […]
Security versus protocol on August 19, 2018In most developing insecure nations, security is often confused with protocol. While security is for the physical protection of an individual, protocol is for facilitation of people in authority. Security cover is provided by visible and invisible devices while protocol carries pomp and show. After the Caretaker Prime Minister, Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk took his oath he […]
So just how rigged were these elections? on August 13, 2018I have had the honour and privilege of voting in all national elections since 1977. While I was studying in the US, my father made sure that my name was included in the voters list. He then collected the polling station details, instructing me to plan my trip accordingly. As we lived in Shadman Colony, […]
Does technology present a challenge? on August 4, 2018Application and management of technology remains a serious challenge for most developing countries. For a second time the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed in the appropriate use of this resource. In the elections held in, 2013 it was the magnetic ink that did not work while in 2018 the Results Transmission System (RTS) failed. […]
Target is corruption on July 31, 2018Shehbaz Sharif is right — we have gone back by thirty years and the era of corruption started by the third Khaki dictator is finally over. The ‘Sharif Political Monster’ has been bottled at last. After 1970, the elections on July 25, 2018 were peaceful with no ‘Badmashi’ (roguery) or aerial firing after the results. […]
PML (Lahore) and PPP (Larkana) on July 25, 2018Both dominant political entities in the country, the Pakistan Muslim League — Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), have been cut to size. The PPP was formed by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1967 in Lahore to challenge the establishment’s strangle hold, while the PML-N came into existence in the eighties to neutralize the influence […]
Political jackals: an endangered species? on July 20, 2018After wasting four decades (1977 to 2017), some measure of political cleansing has finally begun in Pakistan. While this effort is commendable, the process of producing ‘political jackals’ like the Sharifs of Lahore and Chaudhrys of Gujrat should stop. The use of rogue politicians to manipulate the ballots has been disastrous. For democracy to take […]
Vote for someone who cares about rainwater on July 16, 2018After every heavy down pour, as teenagers we went looking for rainwater. It was a ritual to bike through the ponds. In the entire city of Lahore, there were only two places where this sport could be practiced. The low-lying Shad Bagh area near the railway station was one, while the other was Sanda behind […]
Kaptaan, your one-man army won’t save Pakistan on July 11, 2018Why Kaptaan? The answer is Naya Pakistan. As prime minister, Imran Khan will have to deliver on his promise, otherwise he will not only lose his popularity but also his office. It is not a small undertaking. Kaptaan is inspired by Riyasat-e-Madina — the first welfare state of the world. In 1970, in the country’s […]