Local governance issues on June 3, 2019In terms of institutional reforms, decentralization is critical aspect of local governance. It is both important to look at the theoretical aspects of decentralization as well as to see how district-level social development plays out in practice. This article refers to some literature (Faguet and Shami 2015; Bari and Malik nd; PILDAT 2019) to illustrate […]
Issues of democracy on May 29, 2019There is need to debate the theory and practice of democracy; to dwell on liberal versus illiberal manifestations of democracy; to bring forward the essential features of democracy; and discuss the ethnic angle. This article refers to some literature (Keefer 2009, Zakaria 1997, Waseem 2002) to illustrate the discussion. The literature discusses the political economy […]
Consolidation of Fascism in India and elsewhere on May 26, 2019Modi’s BJP has won the elections in India. A lot of commentators are calling it a triumph of “majoritarian” nationalism; some are calling it “cultural majoritarianism”, others “ethnic”. However, they all agree that this win is driven by the call to hate and bigotry by prioritizing the interests of Hindu majoritarianism over all else. In […]
Industrial development on May 22, 2019Industrial development is crucial for development and exports promotion. This article refers to some literature (Ahmed et al. 2015, Sánchez-Triana et al. 2014) in this article to review issues of industrial development. The government plans pin high hopes on the industrial development. However, the industry in Pakistan has not proven to be the driver of […]
Institutional Strengthening on May 19, 2019There is a need to strengthen the institutions and governmental capacity both for the provision of public services in the field of development, as well as for inclusive economic growth. Some efforts have been made to improve institutional capacity in the past. However, results of such efforts have not been sustained in a structured and […]
Civil society issues on May 14, 2019Having discussed other sectors in detail in the many previous columns in the past some months, it is worth revisiting the role of civil society in Pakistan and the kind of issues it faces. In some ways, the term ‘civil society’ is a misnomer as it is applied presently. The theoretical basis of the usage […]
Formalization and economic reforms on May 10, 2019Transition towards formalization and urbanization not only benefits the economy, it also has benefits for the larger good of society. The state and society in Pakistan needs to move towards even further formalization of relations of power and production. Economic reforms, boosting exports, improving human and physical infrastructure, and the new economic agreements need to […]
Elections manipulation and nudging behaviour on May 7, 2019Technological advancements have altered the architecture of human societies for a long time. Each new technological leapfrog had massive impact on the politics, sociology, and economy of human societies, the way of living, and relations of power and production. Pankaj Mishra, who is the leading original thinker in India, has recently written in Economic Times. […]
Private sector development and economic reforms on May 3, 2019Discussion is taking place on the kind of economic reforms needed to boost productivity and economic development in Pakistan. We refer to some literature (Burki 2008, Pakistan Vision 2025) in this article to illustrate it. The industrial sector is in decline in Pakistan. In the recent past, the services sector has attracted more private sector […]
Fairness and Justice on April 22, 2019The underlying principles that guide the societies and states are unifying, although there is an arbitrary dividing line between internal affairs and international diplomacy. The crux is that whenever fairness and justice is denied, it leads to problems both internally for societies, as well as for states in the dispensation of international diplomacy. Just look […]