A Critical Discourse on the Constitution of Pakistan
This discourse with Saeed Afridi took place in a WhatsApp group and has been compiled with his permission. On May 7, 2024, out of desperation,
August 7, 2024
No Comments
In Pakistan, the constitution and the law do not determine politics. Political compulsions determine the constitution and the law. Those who link the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KPK with democracy are themselves misguided and are also misleading others. In KPK there was Imrani democracy. That is, a personalized system of government centered […]
One official fort was under occupation, from where continuous shelling of the capital continued, and every now and then, with the help of state resources, night raids were launched on the capital. Now only the hope of assistance from a foreign crutch, “Britain,” would remain. As for “Dilli,” that was already ruined by their own […]
In Pakistan, the constitution and the law do not determine politics. Political compulsions determine the constitution and the law. Those who link the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in KPK with democracy are themselves misguided and are also misleading others. In KPK there was Imrani democracy. That is, a personalized system of government centered […]
Don’t sit idle, do something, Just unpick your clothes and stitch them back again. Keep experimenting. Never stop experimenting. And when the different chemicals start a long march on the laboratory, then keep dealing with them. O Politicians! Did you ever think how much these experiments cost the citizens!
Inside the royal palace, on every jeweled throne, Leprous bodies in robes of light, Diseased minds and turbans twisted high to the skies, Ignorance-filled scholars, The Majhas and the Gamas, Sit holding clenched in their fists, The tumults of our destinies, the oppressed. Honey on their tongues and knives in their pockets — The breed […]
A short exchange of views (End of September-start of October) from a WhatsApp group Dr Khalil: The rulers of Pakistan are indebted, not the citizens of Pakistan! It is often heard and read that Pakistan has accumulated so much foreign debt. Every Pakistani owes this much loan. Well, did any citizen of Pakistan ever say […]
The travelers of ancient and medieval times journeyed the world and thus compiled the history of the world. But the tourists of Pakistan, by becoming politicians and then rulers, did indeed tour the whole world, yet they destroyed both Pakistan and Pakistan’s history. Why don’t all these politicians and rulers travel the world with their […]
The dilemma is that Pakistani people, for example, want to go to and settle in France. And after settling there, they want to make France into Pakistan. So wouldn’t it be better if they made Pakistan into France. But the fun that lies in ruining someone else’s built home, where is that fun in building […]
All officials of the state and government, including the President and the Prime Minister, who are undertaking foreign tours, should do these tours freely and as much as they like… Do two or three times more foreign tours than each one of you has already done. But know this, that the expenses of all these […]
First a suicide attack happens, people including soldiers die and are injured. Then after that, the Pakistani army targets terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan. Why is this wait done? Why are terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan not targeted beforehand? Why doesn’t the government clarify its policy? Why doesn’t it make the army follow this policy?
This discourse with Saeed Afridi took place in a WhatsApp group and has been compiled with his permission. On May 7, 2024, out of desperation,
Since I don’t see colonialism as an all-encompassing, overriding excuse and don’t hide myself behind that, my analysis focuses on the evolution of the institution
The toppling of the Hasina Wajid government in Bangladesh as a consequence of massive and violent protests helped me arrive at a clear-cut view regarding
Indian society is passing through the throes of social, cultural, and sexual upheaval. Ours is immersed in the nectar of hypocrisy. While the state in
If one doesn’t think in terms of values, first and foremost in terms of moral values, one would never be able to understand and resolve
All the economic matrices exclude the economic status of a taxpayer, and that’s why we have such misleading categories as a tax-to-GDP ratio and tax
No business would ever plead with its customers to use less of their product(s). Be it electricity or anything else. The electricity business for the
There is no ownership of the state of Pakistan in Pakistan! No political party owns it. No constitutional institution owns it. Neither the parliament nor
کچھ لوگ چاہتے ہیں میں ان کی زبان بولوں۔ کیوں بھئی میں آپ کی زبان کیوں بولوں۔ کیا میرے پاس اپنی زبان نہیں۔ کچھ لوگ
Time and time again, it has been demonstrated that the custodian of the constitution, that is, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, is enemy number 1
Earlier, the pendulum of politics used to oscillate back and forth, that is, from the right to the left and from the left to the
Certain politicians, judges, and generals are fit to be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution. But who will leash the cats? How to leash
Here is circumstantial evidence that substantiates my long-held thesis that the main culprit is the politicians/political parties. All those who used to consider the security
Taking advantage of this opportunity, let me say the following: I have a world outlook. I have certain values and principles to adhere to. I
Nationalism! What nationalism? In a country where ordinary people are treated as third-rate citizens by the Riyasati Ashrafiya and Ashrafiya and no ordinary person enjoys
Taxes are not a function of growth. If they are, then if the growth rate is zero, the taxes should be zero. If the growth
Note: This article was originally published in The Express Tribune ISLAMABAD: Many economists love quoting the declining or rising figures of the Foreign Direct Investment
Note: This article was originally published in The Express Tribune ISLAMABAD: In their latest survey, Gallup & Gilani Pakistan asked a nationally representative sample of
Note: This article was originally published in The Express Tribune ISLAMABAD: Altering the economic system is not an easy task. It is more complex when
This is in response to my own short piece: Why there is no anti-tax narrative in Pakistan? Actually, the Tax Payers Alliance Pakistan (TPAP) asked
The idea struck me as a surprise: Poets create aesthetic value. What value do the economists create? In simple words, what’s the purpose that the
A clearly demarcated line can be drawn. On this side of which are found people who follow the rules and/or agreed upon rules. And on
Let me dispel this impression: “PTI supporters hoped Khan would challenge the entrenched power structures that have kept Pakistan underdeveloped…” [From an article that was
In Pakistan, almost everybody, especially economists, politicians, etc, wants to tax the people, but they never tell, WHY. Because there is no anti-tax narrative.
A few years ago, friends from a political party, that formed the government then, asked me to tell what things our party should do. I
There was a joke about Gen Zia and Noor Jahan in which understandably Gen Zia was meant to be punished. But it appeared he was
A friend was an economist proper, trained in a foreign university. When I tried to express myself on an economic issue under discussion, he told
تنقید کرتے رہنا، غصہ اور اشتعال دکھاتے رہنا۔۔۔ یہ چیزیں بھی ایک نشہ اور عادت بن جاتی ہیں۔ ہمیں صاف ذہن کے ساتھ کیا کرنا
انیق ناجی نے ایک انوکھا کام اپنے ذمے لگا لیا ہے۔ یعنی وہ یہ ثابت کرنا چاہ رہے ہیں کہ مسلم لیگ ن اور مسلم
آپ سوچنے سمجھنے والے فرد ہیں۔ تصورات و نظریات میں دلچسپی رکھتے ہیں۔ درپیش معاملات و مسائل کے بارے میں پڑھتے ہیں۔ اپنے خیالات کو
He died last year. Till death, he was a Marxist. He left his home and family to devote himself to serve the cause. His last
سینیٹ میں چیئرمین سینیٹ و ڈپٹی چیئرمین سینیٹ کی مراعات سے متعلق جو متازعہ نجی بل منظور ہوا ہے، اس کے پیش کرنے والوں میں
Under the circumstances, IK desperately wanted any crutches. JIP desperately wanted its mayor to be elected. That desperation is always bad in politics and bad
I try to explain why there is no unrest (or it is in a latent state). There is no political group or party to lead
دانشور اشرافیہ، ثقافتی اشرافیہ اور سیاسی اشرافیہ کا ایک مخصوص حصہ شیریں مزاری پر ظلم و ستم کے جو پہاڑ ٹوٹے ہیں، ان پر ہاہا
I learned a lot from the students I taught. Now when I reflect back on those years (1988-2006, a continuous teaching period, after
اگر کوئی شخص اپنی نارمل زندگی سے اوپر اٹھ کر اشرافیہ، ریاستی اشرافیہ اور دانشور اشرافیہ کے تانے بانے کو توڑنا چاہے، ریاست اور اس
پاکستان کے ’’دشمن‘‘ اس کی سرحدوں کے باہر نہیں، سرحدوں کے اندر ہیں۔ اور یہ ’’دشمن‘‘ ہیں: دانشوروں کے تعصبات اور ان کے ذہنوں کا
نوٹ: یہ مختصر تحریر 17 جون، 2017 کو ویب سائیٹ: WWW.UrduAlert.com پر شائع ہوئی۔ ایک تو یہ کہ رمضان میں پھلوں کا استعمال اور یوں طلب
Note: The following exchange took place in a WhatsApp group. The name of the objector is being withheld. Objection by Someone: Never understand this elite
That’s something unprecedented. Probably never ever any head of the IMF came forward to publicly propose what the government of Pakistan needed to do. But
Time and time again, the issue of hereditary politics finds limelight in the electronic and social media, and in the newspapers. For this or that
The umpteenth time, a nationwide electricity blackout happened on 23 January. It was told, after keeping the system switched off during the night when they
Note: A version of this article was published in The Friday Times. https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2023/01/29/miftah-ismails-economics-far-cry-from-his-partys-record/ This is merely a cursory review/critique of politics and economics Miftah Ismail
Note: A version of this article was published in the Friday Times. https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2023/01/24/project-imran-has-necessitated-shock-therapy-for-pakistans-politics/ Top leadership of the PMLN failed to convince Asif Ali Zardari to
نوٹ: یہ تحریر میری ایک فیس بک پوسٹ ہے، جو 28 جنوری 2021 کو فیس بک پر پوسٹ کی گئی تھی۔ پاکستان میں بہت شروع
Note: An edited version of the following article was published in the Friday Times on 20 January, 2023. https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2023/01/20/can-a-people-centered-charter-of-economy-be-achieve/ The continuing debate on a charter
The state economy has failed miserably. It is collapsing under its own weight. And the debris is falling directly on the already-much-dented civil economy. In
The jurisdiction of the high courts and supreme court in the political and government matters (i.e. how to run the state/gov in accordance with the