Dear Readers, In a nation with a long history of military coups where some previous Chiefs of the Army have not been content with ending their careers as a decorated General, the announcement by Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani that he will stand retired at the end of his term on November 29 comes as a…
Dear Readers, Nawaz Sharif’s decision to choose a Baloch, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, president of the National party (NP), from outside of his own party to be the Chief Minister of Balochistan has revived hopes for a return of good governance and progress to the province which has been persistently wronged. This is a positive…
According to Global “Economic Prospects”, South Asia Region growth declined from 7.4% in 2011 to an estimated 5.4% in 2012, mainly due to a sharp slowdown in India. Home to many of the developing world’s poor, the economic future of the region depends upon (1) Regional cooperation bringing about the Asian Century (2) supporting regional…
The Federal Cabinet met in the city of Karachi on the subject of “Karachi” to take “extraordinary measures to deal with the extraordinary situation in Karachi”, in the words of PM Mian Nawaz Sharif. One does not doubt the urgency of the Federal Govt or their sincerity, however one must call a spade a spade…
Mamnoon Hussain stands elected as the 12th President of Pakistan but not before quite unnecessary controversy generated by the Supreme Court (SC). The PML (N) had the required numbers even if PPP had not boycotted the Presidential elections process. The “unconditional” support from PPP’s former ally, the MQM, gave additional insurance. The PPP ruling party…
Holding Parliamentary elections in about 60 days from a standing start, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) says that “Local Bodies” polls cannot be held soon for various reasons, informed sources claim delays may range from 4 months to 8 even. The deliberate foot-dragging in the various Provincial Local Bodies Bills confirms lip-service only to…
The Federal Interior Minister’s excellent initiative for reinvigorating the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) effective is most welcome, so is the concept of a National Intelligence Secretariat, NACTA has been mostly dormant, mostly due to the obduracy of Rahman Malik. He wanted NACTA to function under his aegis, with good reason NACTA officials feared Malik would…
Dear Readers, Emphasized by political thinkers and administrators as being very important, local self governments are crucial to society as they help set the structure and guidelines for an individual community. Surprisingly local government finds mention in the Constitution of very few countries and still fewer contain rules for local government. In the case of…
Dear Readers, Since that fateful day on 9/11 when the USA came under terrorist attack, Pakistan has come to be regarded by many nations as the epicenter of terrorist activity committed in the name of Islam. While this is not entirely true, we have given space and opportunity to extremists and terrorists to prosper. Many…
Declaring a State of Emergency on Nov 3, 2007, Musharraf held the Constitution of Pakistan “in Abeyance.” Article 6, Clause (1) in effect on November 3rd, 2007 did not describe “holding the Constitution in Abeyance” as an “Act of High Treason”. This clause was substituted and “Abeyance” was inserted into the Constitution with the Eighteenth…
