Who is Responsible? on July 23, 2022“I don’t know if politics makes one dishonest or dishonesty makes one a politician”—Unknown Pompousness, ostentation, gaudy display of riches, bloated egos, vanity and false expressions are what makes human beings artificial in all respects. Conversely, humility with all its features raises a person from ordinary to special but when it interacts with those who […]
Pakistan: Amid Political Turmoil on July 16, 2022“P olitical language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”-George Orwell While growing up, it was difficult to imagine that Pakistan would become engrossed in a political turmoil that continues to assume larger proportions with each passing day. In the first couple […]
Budget 2022-23: Usurping Incentives for More Taxes? on July 9, 2022“And you can’t have a prosperous economy when the government is way overspending, raising tax rates, printing too much money, over-regulating and restricting free trade. It just can’t be done”-Arthur B. Laffer “The Laffer Curve, by the way, was not invented by me; it has its origins way back in time. For example, the Muslim […]
Educating the Young Ones on July 2, 2022“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” — Margaret Mead The purpose of education has been defined in many ways. Education is not preparation for life, it is life itself (Jon Dewey); it is the key to unlock the golden gate of freedom (George Washington Carver); it is to turn mirrors […]
World Drug Day: Pakistan from Bad to Worse on June 25, 2022“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism.” –Carl Jung The moment a problem surfaces, instantaneously one looks for an appropriate remedy for its resolution. Consequently, unless the issue is of an incurable nature, it gets settled long before it blows out of proportion. The same […]
Potential Beasts of Burden? on June 18, 2022“Make no mistake about why these babies are here – they are here to replace us”-Jerry Seinfeld 12 June is observed as Child Labour Day and the United Nations laid down the 2022 theme as; “Universal social protection to end child labour” which envisages increased investment in social protection schemes to create strong foundations to […]
Budget 2023: Hopes amid Historic Disappointments on June 11, 2022“Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers”-Robert Green Ingersoll Each year, just before the announcement of the budget for the forthcoming financial year, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) receives many proposals from accounting professionals, the business community, industrialists, bankers and even government officials working in the revenue departments of the country. […]
Budgets Beyond Balance! on June 4, 2022“The budget doesn’t have much control over the government. Then again, the government doesn’t have much control over the budget”-P.J. O’Rourke Every year around the months of May and June, the government in Pakistan is confronted with perhaps the most arduous challenge that comes with assuming power-presenting the budget for the forthcoming fiscal year that […]
The Myth of Equity on May 28, 2022“Don’t expect to pull up the weak by pulling down the strong”-Calvin Coolidge A just society is the dream of every human being who lives on this planet although such terms as equality, equity and fairness are interpreted in different ways by various ideologies. Historical evidence indicates that in every era people are divided into […]
Human Trafficking: New Trends on May 21, 2022“Human trafficking is not only an injustice to the victim, but it is an injustice unto the families and friends of that victim”-Asa Don Brown The world today is in turmoil. A cursory look around would show signs of unrest, dissatisfaction, economic melt-downs, rising inflation, armed disputes, political upheavals, pandemics, terminal diseases, accidents, refugees and […]