Salman Ali

Pakistan, as always, remains at crossroads. But there is still hope that the new players that have emerged in Pakistani politics, along with the old ones, are serious about making their country and the world a safer place to live. A few weeks ago, I meeting with one of Pakistan’s leading intellectuals, poets and analysts, […]

Every year on the 1st of May, people across the world including Pakistan celebrate the Labour Day as a public holiday. But does anyone think about what this day truly stands for. The question is has any of us done something of value for the labour class, or done anything to resolve their problems? In […]

The Punjab assembly passed the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act (PPWAVA) in February, which provides unprecedented legal protection to women against domestic, psychological and sexual violence. The law faces legal and clerical challenges, but the biggest issue will be its implementation, as laws are made but their enforcement remains weak. The law emulates […]

  Education is a basic source that can, singlehandedly, turn the fortune for any nation, as it can be the best and most appropriate step for the long-term solution of any problems the state is going through. If we see nations who have developed their infrastructure and are in the top ranking, it is primarily […]

Pakistan is often described as a weak polity because of its poor democratic credentials. Civil society in Pakistan is divided along modern-secular and traditional-religious lines. The conflict between the two segments of civil society manifests itself in many ways because of conflicting ideologies and worldviews. This conflict is deeply rooted in the socio-political history of […]

International Women’s Day, March 8th, is a global day, celebrating social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality. It also encourages women to reclaim their rights and use this day as a step forward in women rights’ struggle. In 1910, during the Second […]

Pakistan has always been active in making policies and signing various international accords to promote education and increase literacy rates. However, these policies have mostly been on paper and no sincere and concerted efforts have been made by successive governments to implement them in letter and spirit or fulfil international pledges. Even the country’s Constitution […]

Our Lollywood industry has gone through many phases since its inception. The 1960s were marked as the glorious years of Lollywood but they started dying out in the 1970s due to Ziaul Haq’s Islamism and the trend of low cost films. Today, we see the Pakistani film industry being revived through the projection social issues […]

No democratic and modern state can exist without protecting and giving full rights to its people. Every constitution of a real democratic state protects the fundamental rights and basic needs of its people, irrespective of their religion, creed, cast and colour. As Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and other minorities across Pakistan recount numerous horrific attacks, Minority […]

The state of human rights in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh, is pathetic. Every citizen of Pakistan is entitled to basic human rights through national and international bindings, laws and the Constitutions; the state is responsible for the protection of basic human rights through the implementation of the Constitution and international human rights laws. But, lack […]