Iftekhar A Khan

The government formed a committee to devise austerity measures to cut official expenditure for controlling the fiscal debt. The 10-member committee will look into various government organisations where the expenses could be reduced. Those who think the government is considering austerity measures in public interest, they’re mistaken. It’s one of the IMF preconditions for granting […]

When politicians and senior bureaucrats make promises in the public interest and their statements capture newspapers’ headlines the next day, they think they have done their job. But people treat such tall claims with disbelief because there is no follow-up by those who talked big. They assume people have a short memory and would soon […]

The Prime Minister recently warned that load-shedding will increase in the month of July. Already, when brains melt due to high temperatures and power outages add to public miseries, PM’s forecast about power outages is nothing less than a bombshell. When people meet, their first comment usually is, “It’s very hot this year.” In fact, […]

The nationwide public criticism ensued after the sudden upward jumps in the price of fuel. The public is justified to protest, as the rise in the price of fuel affects the prices of many other commodities of daily household use. Question: Does the government raise the prices of fuel, electricity and gas on whims? No. […]

During the last few years, the daily newspapers have been replete with stories of allegations and counter-allegations of corruption. Many politicians of one party blame their opponents in other parties for it. The show goes on. How much truth there is in such charges, it’s hard to prove legally. The word ‘alleged’ is often used […]

Let’s have no illusions that our society stands clearly divided between two classes: the fabulously rich and the impoverished. It reminds me of the French Revolution years (1789-1799) when the same two segments of the society were defined as the “privileged and unprivileged classes.” Coincidentally, the Prime Minister recently chose the same term by “calling […]

After the no-confidence vote resulting in loss of power, Imran Khan is most restive. Commenting on a politician’s personality is an accepted norm in almost all democracies since he’s a public figure. Khan has serious personality limitations. He doesn’t possess the mental makeup of a politician. By observing him during the recent few years that […]

As one sits back to ponder why things go wrong in many spheres of our national activities, one factor supersedes all. It’s the absence of merit, lack of care and attention. Why are various systems at the national level in disarray? And with time, people have come to accept them in their deteriorating state. People […]

The large-scale movement of population from rural and backward areas to main cities to seek jobs needs urgent attention. Instead of ringing alarm bells in the high offices of politicians and bureaucrats, they remain unperturbed. The political tug of war that went on during PTI rule has continued unabated. The most depressing situation is that […]

Since his ouster from power, Imran Khan is holding rallies and his followers think he is very popular. Before the vote of no confidence materialised and Khan was still in power, he warned that he would be more dangerous when out of power than in it. He’s striving hard to come true on his words […]