Home - Dr Khalil's Intellectual Space

انتخابات یا لاٹری

سیاسی قضیے: 3 مئی، 2018 کتنے برس کبھی اِس سیاسی جماعت، کبھی اُس سیاسی جماعت کے ساتھ لگے رہنے کے بعد، اب یہ بات سمجھ آئی ہے کہ یہاں ہونے والے انتخابات تو لاٹری کی طرح ہیں۔ یہ بات ایک علاحدہ معاملہ ہے کہ کونسے انتخابات شفاف اور منصفانہ تھے یا نہیں تھے۔ پہلے پہل میں پیپلز پارٹی کا حامی رہا۔ لیکن ذوالفقار علی بھٹو کا فسطائی چہرہ سامنے آنے پر یہ ساتھ ختم ہو گیا۔ اور 1977 کے انتخابات میں پیپلز پارٹی کی حکومت کی طرف سے بڑے پیمانے پر دھاندلی اور فسطائی ہتھکنڈوں کے استعمال کے بعد پی

May 3, 2018 No Comments

انفرادی انقلاب سے اجتماعی و ریاستی انقلاب تک

سیاسی قضیے: 25 اپریل، 2018 اس بات کا احساس و ادراک تو خاصے عرصے سے تھا۔ مگر یہ بات ابھی کچھ برس قبل ایک نظریے کی صورت اختیار کر پائی ہے۔ اس کی پہلی نمایاں مثال جو مجھے یاد آتی ہے، وہ اس وقت سے تعلق رکھتی ہے، جب میں ایم اے کر رہا تھا۔ فلسفے کے ایک فارغ التحصیل صاحب اکثر شعبۂ فلسفہ میں تشریف لایا کرتے تھے۔ ہم نے کبھی یہ جاننے کی کوشش نہیں کی کہ وہ کیا کرتے ہیں۔ وہ آتے اور کچھ اساتذہ اور کچھ طلبہ سے ملتے ملاتے، گپ شپ لگاتے اور چلے جاتے۔

April 25, 2018 No Comments

دا سنگہ آزادی دہ ـ آزادی یہ کیسی ہے

’’پشتون تحفظ موومینٹ‘‘ کے نام [لاہور میں جلسے کے موقعے پر] دا سنگہ آزادی دہ آزادی یہ کیسی ہے، محفوظ نہیں کوئی آزادی یہ کیسی ہے، آزاد نہیں کوئی دا سنگہ آزادی دہ آزادی یہ کیسی ہے، اپنے ہی بنے آقا آئین نہیں کوئی، سرکار نہیں کوئی دا سنگہ آزادی دہ آزادی یہ کیسی ہے، قانون نہیں کوئی آزادی یہ کیسی ہے، انصاف نہیں کوئی دا سنگہ آزادی دہ آزادی یہ کیسی ہے، شنوائی نہیں کوئی سننے کو گلہ ہرگز، تیار نہیں کوئی دا سنگہ آزادی دہ آزادی یہ کیسی ہے، تذلیل مقدر ہے ہم بھی ہیں وطن دوست، غدار

April 22, 2018 No Comments

ووٹ کو عزت دو ۔ ۔ ۔ یا ووٹر کو عزت دو

سیاسی قضیے: 19اپریل، 2018 فرض کیجیے نواز شریف آج وزیرِ اعظم ہوتے، تو اس سے عام شہری کو بھلا کیا فرق پڑ جاتا۔ اور کیا اس صورت میں مسلم لیگ ن ’’ووٹ کو عزت دو‘‘ کا بیانیہ زبان پر لاتی۔ قطعاً نہیں۔ سب کچھ حسبِ معمول چل رہا ہوتا اور راوی چین ہی چین لکھتا۔ کیونکہ نواز شریف اب وزیرِ اعظم نہیں، لہٰذا، یہ بیانیہ چلایا جا رہا ہے کہ ووٹ کو عزت دو۔ اس سے صاف مراد یہ ہے کہ جسے ووٹ ملیں، اسے حکومت کرنے دو۔ وہ جیسے چاہے، اسے ویسے حکومت کرنے دو۔ سوال یہ ہے کہ

April 19, 2018 No Comments

اشرافیہ کی سیاست اور ’’پشتون تحفظ موومینٹ‘‘ کی سیاست

سیاسی قضیے: 15اپریل، 2018 اشرافیہ کی سیاست، بخشنے، عطا کرنے، دینے اور دان کرنے سے عبارت ہے۔ جیسے روٹی، کپڑا اور مکان دینے کا نعرہ۔ یا پھر بلا تعطل بجلی کی فراہمی۔ یا جیسے کہ سڑکیں، پبلک ٹرانسپورٹ، وغیرہ۔ اور ایسی ہی دوسری چیزیں، جو وقت اور موقعے کی مناسبت سے اشرافی سیاسی جماعتوں کے انتخابی منشور کا حصہ بنتی ہیں۔ سوال یہ ہے کہ کیا سیاسی جماعتیں اور ان کے سربراہ یہ چیزیں لوگوں کو اپنے پیسے سے مہیا کرتے ہیں۔ اس کا صاف جواب ہے: قطعاً نہیں۔ خواہ یہ روٹی، کپڑا اور مکان ہو، یا بجلی، یا کوئی

April 15, 2018 No Comments

آرائشی سیاست اور اس کے پرستار

سیاسی قضیے: 7 اپریل، 2018 آرائشی سیاست اتنی نقصان دہ نہیں، جتنا نقصان دہ آرائشی سیاست کے پرستار ہیں۔ سبب اس کا یہ ہے کہ یہ آرائشی سیاست کے پرستار ہی ہیں، جو اسے زندہ رکھنے میں اہم کردار ادا کر رہے ہیں۔ اس کا تجربہ مجھے کچھ ہفتے قبل ہوا۔ جب سینیٹ کے انتخابات کے لیے امیدوار نامزد کیے جا رہے تھے، تو پیپلز پارٹی نے کرشنا کماری کوہلی کو سینیٹ کا ٹکٹ دیا۔ اس پر ایک نعرہِ مستانہ بلند ہوا، اور تعریف و تحسین کے ڈونگرے برسنے شروع ہو گئے کہ پیپلز پارٹی نے کیا کمال کر دیا:

April 10, 2018 No Comments

میرا ووٹ کسی مظلوم و مجبور کے لیے نہیں

سیاسی قضیے: پیر 31 مارچ، 2018 جب میں نے گورنمینٹ کالج، لاہور، سال اول میں داخلہ لیا، تو سٹوڈینٹس یونین کے پہلے انتخاب میں ہی ایک حیران کن چیز دیکھنے کو ملی۔ ایک طرف راوینز فرنٹ تھا، دوسری طرف انجمنِ طلبۂ اسلام، اور تیسری طرف اسلامی جمیعتِ طلبہ۔ انتخاب سے ایک دن قبل، انجمنِ طلبۂ اسلام کے امیدوار کالج میں نمودار ہوئے، تو زخموں اور پٹیوں سے لدے پھندے۔ ہم سب پریشان اور متجسس تھے، ایسا ظلم کس نے کیا۔ الزام ایک طلبہ تنظیم پر لگایا جا رہا تھا۔ آپ قیاس کر سکتے ہیں کس پر۔ بعد ازاں، کھُلا کہ

March 31, 2018 No Comments

اگر ملک کے معاملات آئین کے مطابق نہیں چلا سکتے، تو آئین کو تحلیل کر دیں

سیاسی قضیے: اتوار 11 مارچ، 2018 ایک جانور بھی کسی جگہ رہتا ہے تو اسے اس جگہ سے کچھ نہ کچھ لگاؤ ہو جاتا ہے۔ مگر یہ پاکستان کیسا ملک ہے، اس کے اشرافی طبقات کو ستر برس بعد بھی اس ملک، اس کی زمین، اس کے لوگوں سے ذرا بھی تعلق نہیں۔ ملک کی سیاست اور معیشت پر نظر ڈالیں تو یوں محسوس ہوتا ہے کہ جیسے مالِ غنیمت کو لوٹنے کی دوڑ لگی ہوئی ہے، اور یہی وہ سبب ہے کہ ہر ادارہ سیاسی ریشہ دوانیوں سے گہنایا ہوا ہے۔ زیادہ دور نہیں جاتے۔ صرف گذشتہ دو حکومتوں

March 11, 2018 No Comments

سیاست کے سینے میں آئین کیوں نہیں دھڑکتا؟

سیاسی قضیے: منگل 6 مارچ، 2018 چند برس قبل، میں نے پاکستان میں بائیں بازو کی جماعتوں کی مختلف دستاویزات دوبارہ دیکھنی شروع کیں، جن میں ان کی طرف سے شائع ہونے والے تجزیات، رپورٹیں، سالانہ جائزے، وغیرہ، شامل تھے۔ یہ چیزیں میرے پاس پہلے سے دستیاب تھیں، کیونکہ میں خود بائیں بازو سے وابستہ رہا تھا۔ ان دستاویزات کے مطالعے کے دوران، جس چیز نے مجھے اپنی طرف متوجہ کیا، وہ ’’آئین‘‘ کے ذکر کا مفقود ہونا تھا۔ ان میں قریب قریب تمام دستاویزات 1973 کے بعد سے تعلق رکھتی تھیں، مگر ان کے پس منظر میں ’’آئین‘‘ کہیں

March 6, 2018 No Comments

Today’s tweet – Pakistan’s economy

Pakistan’s economy is a rigged lottery. Tweets by khalilkf

March 1, 2018 No Comments

Quaid’s 11 August (1947) Address Be made Substantive Part of the Constitution

Since long, a controversy has been raging as to what kind of state Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah wanted Pakistan to be: a religious state or a secular state. Fortunately, that controversy precludes certain extremes, for instance, it is generally understood and admitted that Quaid never wanted Pakistan to be a theocratic or a socialist state. That amounts to saying that the controversy focuses mainly on whether it was an “Islamic” state or a “secular” state that Quaid may have envisioned. That controversy has its roots in what Quaid himself said, that is, the speeches and addresses he delivered on various

January 11, 2018 No Comments

لوگوں کی جیب سے پیسے نکلوانا کوئی پنجاب حکومت سے سیکھے

آج (4 اکتوبر،2017ئ، کو) ”ڈان“ میں ایک چھوٹی سی خبر شائع ہوئی ہے۔ سرخی یہ ہے: غیرمصدقہ نمبر پلیٹوں پر یلغار (”کریک ڈاؤن“) شروع۔ تفصیل اس خبر کی یہ ہے کہ چیف ٹریفک آفیسر نے منگل کو وارڈنز کو غیر مصدقہ نمبر پلیٹوں کی حامل موٹر بائیکوں اور دوسری گاڑیوں پر یلغار میں شدت لانے کی ہدایت کی۔ ٹریفک پولیس کے مطابق اس یلغار میں شد ت لانا اس لیے ضروری ہے، کیونکہ غیرمصدقہ نمبر پلیٹوں والی گاڑیاں دہشت گردی کے لیے استعمال ہوتی ہیں۔ اس خبر نے مہمیز کا کام کیا۔ میں اس معاملے پر گذشتہ ہفتے بھر سے

November 17, 2017 No Comments

Article 184 – interpreting it paradoxically

As far as the interpretation of the article 184 is concerned, common-sense understanding is altogether different. It has three clauses that form the whole of this article. Its title is: The Original Jurisdiction of Supreme Court. The first clause states: (1) The Supreme Court shall, to the exclusion of every other court, have original jurisdiction in any dispute between any two or more governments. The second clause states: (2) In the exercise of the jurisdiction conferred on it by clause (1), the Supreme Court shall pronounce declaratory judgments only. The third and the last clause states: (3) Without prejudice to

November 9, 2017 No Comments

Book stressing need for new social contract launched

Dawn October 28, 2017 ISLAMABAD: State emerges from society so it has no right to make the society hostage and start supporting non-state actors who are a threat to the society. As even political parties do not follow the Constitution, there is a need to have a new social contract to run the country. Read the story: https://www.dawn.com/news/1366767/book-stressing-need-for-new-social-contract-launched

October 29, 2017 1 Comment

عمرانی معاہدے کی تشکیلِ نو: تقریبِ رونمائی، 27 اکتوبر (2017)، اسلام آباد

عمرانی معاہدے کی تشکیلِ نو: انسانی معاشرے کی تنظیم کے اصول تقریبِ رونمائی، 27 اکتوبر (2017)، اسلام آباد

October 20, 2017 No Comments

میری نئی کتاب: ’’عمرانی معاہدے کی تشکیلِ نو: انسانی معاشرے کی تنظیم کے اصول‘‘ شائع ہو گئی

بالآخر ’’عمرانی معاہدے کی تشکیلِ نو : انسانی معاشرے کی تنظیم کے اصول‘‘ شائع ہو گئی۔ تحقیق و تحریر میں چار برس سے زیادہ کا عرصہ لگا، اور قریباً چھ ماہ اشاعت کے مراحل طے کرنے میں۔ صفحات: 800 قیمت: جلد اول و جلد دوم 1500 روپئے ملنے کا پتا: میری گولڈ بُکس، لاہور WWW.Facebook.com/MarigoldBooks

September 28, 2017 No Comments

Today’s tweet: Internet tax in Punjab

What the Pakistani politics is up to? Punjab gov imposed 19.5% tax on internet; no one is worried in the Punjab Assembly! https://twitter.com/khalilkf

August 30, 2017 No Comments

Real culprit are the politicians: my interview in Urdu daily: Express

پاکستان کے اصل مجرم سیاست دان ہیں: روزنامہ ایکسپریس میں میرا انٹرویو 17 اگست، 2017 پورا انٹریو ملاحظہ کیجیے: https://www.express.pk/story/907963/

August 18, 2017 No Comments

My nationalist pride

My two cents (tweets) It kills the somewhat nationalist pride in me that the office of prime minister has a pride that needs to be supplemented by another office! Every other laxity, corruption, etc I feel I may tolerate, not this one! It’s absolutely unbecoming no matter it’s constitutional or not. Tweets by khalilkf

July 24, 2017 No Comments

Sense of direction

With JUI (F), MQM, and PML (Q) once again out to test their gamesmanship, and ANP, PML (N), the Army, and the political-religious parties outside waiting in the wings, it seems Pakistan is all set to brace for another bout of political crisis – leaving us the people bewildered what the hell is the direction they are all moving Pakistan into! That there is no sense of direction in what is happening or cooking to happen is not far from the truth. An 18th Amendment, a 7th NFC Award, autonomous status for Gilgit-Baltistan, or the Reconciliation mantra appear like in-connectible

March 7, 2017 No Comments

بایاں بازو ـ کچھ نہیں بدلا، کچھ بھی نہیں بدلا

کل گیارہ فروری کو ایک تقریب تھی، معراج محمد خان کی یاد میں ایک ریفرینس۔ مال روڈ پر، الحمرا ہال تین میں۔ ہال ’’ہاؤس فل‘‘ تھا۔ یہ ہیں کچھ اہم اور نمایاں نکات۔ صاف بات ہے کہ یہ میرے نقطۂ نظر سے اہم اور نمایاں ہیں۔ چونکہ بائیں بازو سے میرا بہت گہرا تعلق رہا ہے، لہذا، میں ایسے اجتماعات میں جانا ضروری سمجھتا ہوں۔ ایک مقصد یہ جاننا بھی ہوتا ہے کہ اب بایاں بازو کہاں کھڑا ہے۔ گذشتہ تقریب جس میں مجھے جانے کا موقع ملا، وہ سترہ اپریل 2015 کو منعقد ہوئی تھی، اور یہ ڈاکٹرلال خان

February 12, 2017 No Comments

Is keeping assets abroad criminal?

This April a bill was submitted in the National Assembly which is yet another attempt to make the citizens of Pakistan “loyal” to it. The bill seeks to amend the Article 63 of the Constitution – an article that sets the criteria for the members of parliament and provincial assemblies. The bill requires that any person who holds dual nationality and owns bank accounts and assets in countries other than Pakistan will not be able to be a member of the parliament and provincial assemblies as well as public service, both civil and military. It ensued from the womb of Muslim League (Q). Leaving

January 24, 2017 No Comments

Wikileaking clandestine governments

While the Pakistani NGOs seek the Right to Information Law, the likes of “Wikileaks” are wikileaking clandestine governments! The latest ‘leaks’ of Wikileaks provide a historical opportunity to re-consider many a taken for granted truths! This writing too intends to discuss afresh some such propositions which relates to the affairs of the governments. For instance, whether governments are justified in keeping various types of information secret. In Pakistan and maybe in other such countries also, this is an accepted truth. People outside governments than those inside seem more convinced in this regard. That is to be more loyalist than the

December 31, 2016 No Comments

So, is London the last refuge for the Kleptocrats-Criminals?

The country that taught us lesson regarding Rule of Law, Rule of Politics is winning there! On September 16, 2016, Dawn published the following Situationer, which explains how law may not win over politics in UK: Politics, not law, likely to decide murder probeBy Owen Bennett-Jones Here is the text of the piece: LONDON: Shortly before 17:30 on Sept 16, 2010, Dr Imran Farooq was on his way home from work when he was murdered outside his home in Green Lane, Edgware, in north London. As the police subsequently reported, a post-mortem gave his cause of death as multiple stab

December 30, 2016 No Comments

Bridging The Communication Gap With PPP!

With time, disconnect with the Pakistan Peoples Party is widening. The more one listens to news and reads newspapers, the more one is convinced of the distending communication gap between the PPP and non-PPP camps. It seems both of them are talking to themselves only. Watching talk shows on TV channels, where representatives from both camps talk face to face, is an experience these days as they appear to be an exercise in monologic dialogue, without communicating a bit! No doubt, both camps are talking quite heavily meaningfully. When Khawaja Saad Rafique, or anyone from the Pakistan Muslim League (N),

December 24, 2016 No Comments

The American contradiction

Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none -Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826. American people create abundant wealth. So, they are prosperous and happy. It is only because they are economically freer than many nations on earth. In consequence, that makes them politically freer. What makes all that possible is their declaration of independence, constitution, bill of rights, and their independent courts, which promptly ensure the continuance of rule of law, which in turn help a free media to exist, and it is this combination that guarantees personal freedoms to American people: to do whatever they like to

November 15, 2016 No Comments

The perils of judicial populism

Judges rule on the basis of law, not public opinion, and they should be totally indifferent to the pressures of the times.– Warren E. Burger (1907-1995), Chief Justice, US Supreme Court. The best thing that explains the Supreme Court’s (SC’s) July 20 judgment is: it is never too late to mend. As is being claimed, the judgment is historic, it is daring, it is a people’s verdict, and a turning point in Pakistan’s history. Of course, it is all these or maybe more, but things are meaningful only in a context. Without context, they lose their import. This is more

November 7, 2016 No Comments

The perils of judicial populism

Judges rule on the basis of law, not public opinion, and they should be totally indifferent to the pressures of the times. – Warren E. Burger (1907-1995), Chief Justice, US Supreme Court. The best thing that explains the Supreme Court’s (SC’s) July 20 judgment is: it is never too late to mend. As is being claimed, the judgment is historic, it is daring, it is a people’s verdict, and a turning point in Pakistan’s history. Of course, it is all these or maybe more, but things are meaningful only in a context. Without context, they lose their import. This is

November 7, 2016 No Comments

Media consumption?

The theory of media consumption stands vindicated in Pakistan! The story goes thus: On June 29 the Federal Defense Minister, Ahmed Mukhtar, who had been sleeping all through the May 2 Abbottabad-Osama-Bin-Laden and May 23 PNS-Mehran-Karachi happenings, awoke to talk to a group of journalists apprising them that Pakistan had asked Washington to vacate the Shamsi airbase in Balochistan which was used to launch Drone strikes against the militants. The Minister remained awake to tell the Reuters on the following day that Islamabad had been pressing the US to leave the base even before the ‘Abbottabad incursion’ and did so

September 7, 2016 No Comments

Siege from within

When creative spirit of a nation is arrested from within, it is as vulnerable to external insinuations as is to internal machinations, and can never make any progress. “Pakistan is under siege.” We had enemies from the very first day. With time, the list of our enemies grew longer. So much so that today we have neighbors not friendly to us and a world all hostile to us. We are alone in a wilderness created of our own. Isn’t it Greek mythology whose gods and monsters we have resurrected in ourselves? Like the one-eyed monster, we have no second eye

August 23, 2016 No Comments

Siege from within

August 23, 2016 No Comments

Siege from within

August 23, 2016 No Comments

Legislating middleman’s ouster

The middleman tends to be eliminated . . . He can only be safely eliminated by natural processes. Sometimes he is of real use and helps production; sometimes he is not; but this cannot be decided by a blind strike, but only by allowing the forces of competition to act upon him. [Hon. Auberon Herbert] Every time Pakistan Muslim League (N) comes to govern in Punjab, it tries its hands at innovative approaches to solve some of the crucial problems facing ordinary citizens. But unfortunately all of them prove unproductive, consume resources wastefully, and leave the ‘attempted problem’ in a

July 29, 2016 No Comments

How to Privatize Successfully – Part II

How to Privatize Successfully – Part I If privatisation needs to be done, it has to be done because it is the decisive step in transforming the economic system. Regarding foreign help Dr Klaus is very blunt: I think that the typical foreign help was sending would-be advisors and consultants. It became one of the most profitable businesses in the 1990s – to become a consultant and advisor in the transforming societies. Their recommendations weren’t useful and not very good. You have had some experience with troubles in South East Asia in the second half of the 1990s – it

June 7, 2016 No Comments

How to Privatize Successfully – Part I

Changing the economic system is not an easy task. And, of course, it is more complex when carried out half-heartedly. As privatisation is only a part of this process, it may not succeed if done in an isolated manner. It needs certain other changes and a competitive environment to bear fruit. A case in point is Czechoslovakia. It provides us with a very good learning experience to see how after the fall of a collectivist state the gigantic task of changing the economic system was handled. Presently, Dr Vaclav Klaus is President of the Czech Republic. He was Prime Minister

May 24, 2016 No Comments

Pakistan – victim of a dangerous theory of knowledge

He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.[George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950] People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.[Lao Tzu, 604 BC – 531 BC] Underneath our views of everything lies a theory of knowledge. We have views about the world, and what exists in and beyond the world. We have views about man, his nature, his destiny, and his place in the society and the world. We have views about society, about people and about the things people believe in and do not believe in and about things

May 2, 2016 No Comments

Cynicism and the Theory of Lesser Evil

[Here is the part 4 of the article: “Cynicism and Pakistan.”] The Theory of Lesser Evil (TLE) is a manifestation of cynicism. As cynicism finds its meaning mainly in negativity and faultfinding, TLE too believes that everything is Evil; there is no Good. If everything is Evil, and there exists no Good, then what we are free to do is make a choice between all the Evil things. Nonetheless, TLE makes room for things which are more Evil and which are less Evil. This seems to be a ploy to carve out a niche for human choice; otherwise, if everything

April 11, 2016 No Comments

A State that Took over Society

You can bring the rich to the level of the poor overnight but it takes a lifetime to lift the poor to the level of the rich.– Irish proverb During the 1970s, Pakistan went in for wholesale nationalization of its private enterprises, taking even educational institutions into the state’s hands. This was a move laden with far-reaching and unforeseeable consequences. Some are still being unveiled today. It changed not only the economic and political, but also the social, intellectual and moral landscape of the country for generations to come. The story began in 1968, with a political movement basing itself

March 7, 2016 1 Comment

An elegy for Lahore

O the Ashraaf Rulers! Develop new cities and have your dreams fulfilled; have Metro Buses and Metro Trains there and whatever you want! Why do you raze and destroy our cities, our Lahore! Let we have our own dreams live in the cities where our souls live! لاہور کا نوحہ: لاہور کی میت ہے ذرا دھوم سے نکلے [نئے شہر بساؤ اوراپنے شوق پورے کرو؛ ہمارے شہر کیوں ملیامیٹ کر رہے ہو!] روتی ہوئی حسرت دلِ مغموم سے نکلے واویلا کرو، بین کرو، اشک بہاؤ لاہور کی میت ہے ذرا دھوم سے نکلے اشراف کے خوابوں تلے کچلا گیا یہ

February 28, 2016 No Comments

سِول پاکستان ـ اردو بلاگ

لاہور کا نوحہ

لاہور کی میت ہے ذرا دھوم سے نکلے [نئے شہر بساؤ اوراپنے شوق پورے کرو؛ ہمارے شہر کیوں ملیامیٹ کر رہے ہو!] روتی ہوئی حسرت دلِ مغموم سے نکلے واویلا کرو، بین کرو، اشک بہاؤ لاہور کی میت ہے ذرا دھوم سے نکلے اشراف کے خوابوں تلے کچلا گیا یہ شہر صیاد کے ہتھکنڈوں سے مسلا گیا یہ شہر آواز کہیں تو کسی حلقوم سے نکلے لاہور کی میت ہے ذرا دھوم سے نکلے جو روح تھی مر بھی چکی، اربابِ سیاست! لاشہ بہا لے جائے گا سیلابِ سیاست اس شہر کا قصہ دلِ مغموم سے نکلے لاہور کی میت

February 27, 2016 No Comments

Cynicism and the political evolution of Pakistan

[Here is the part 3 of the article: “Cynicism and Pakistan.”] The discussion of the political cynicism here focuses only on the sections of society which exercise influence on the formation of public opinion. These sections may be considered as the mainstay of political cynicism in Pakistan. As far as the general citizenry is concerned, the myth of its political apathy evaporates with every general election held in the country. One may object: the turnout in the elections is too small to break this myth. However, the statistics belie it: the turnout in 2008 stood at 44 % and in

February 22, 2016 No Comments

Poor show

The credit for any reduction in poverty in the country goes to privatisation, de-regulation and liberalisation, not to the so called pro-poor expenditures. Over a period of five years between 1999-2004, the government of Pakistan spent Rs.1 trillion on poverty reduction. According to the Finance Ministry, Poverty Reduction Special Programme included budgetary and non-budgetary expenditures both by the federal and provincial governments. Now, the ‘Labour Force Survey 2005’ (first two quarters) reports that over the last five years, the government has spent a hefty amount of Rs.1332 billion on poverty-related and social sector programmes to help the poor and vulnerable

February 13, 2016 No Comments

Cynicism and the politics in Pakistan

Here is the 1st part of this article: Cynicism in Pakistan Cynicism and the politics in Pakistan Among other things, political cynicism destroys whatever little chance may exist for dialogue in a deteriorating situation. This I learned from our own company of friends. Frankly, that learning came at the cost of that company’s dissolution. Actually we were three to five friends who used to gather in a restaurant for chatting after a week or so, regularly. One friend was too adamant to sustain a dialogue. It was really next to impossible to converse with him. You say one thing and

February 7, 2016 No Comments

The predominance of clergy in Pakistan

It’s always been argued that there is no clergy among the Muslims. Is it so? Not the least! In fact, there is all the ‘required’ evidence available to defy this claim. Regardless of the positions and interpretations the Muslim scholars advocate in this respect, there always existed and still exists such a body of religiously ordained persons who use their authority in worldly as well as other-worldly affairs of the Muslims. Even if there is no Muslim Church like the Christian Church, the Principle of Clergy for all the practical purposes is the same in Muslims. It may also be

January 23, 2016 No Comments

No. 1 enemy of the people of Pakistan

پاکستن کے سیاست دانوں نے، خواہ وہ جمہوریت کا لبادہ اوڑھے ہوئے ہیں یا مذہب کا، قریباً ستر برس سے یہاں کے شہریوں کو ٹرک کی بتی کے پیچھے لگایا ہوا ہے۔ This Urdu saying means: Paki politicians, whether they are clad in the garb of Democracy or Religion, have got the citizens running after the back-lights of a Truck! In other words, the citizens of Pakistan have been made to run after a mirage so that they are never going to reach any destination. Recently, there was a book-launching in Lahore. The book’s title is: NauAbaadiyati Taaleemi Dhaancahy Ka

January 14, 2016 No Comments

A Story of Complicity

A Story of Complicity: Statistical Relationship between a Newspaper and a Politician * The writer supports freedom of thought, freedom of expression and freedom of press as sort of absolute values. * This analysis by him is in good faith and may not be construed as intrusion in anyone’s privacy and freedom. * Since newspapers are public entities (though they are privately owned), and politicians public personalities, the writer as a reader and as a citizen may use his freedom to question and criticize both. * The writer is a keen reader of the newspapers. In the month of May

January 5, 2016 No Comments

Happy New Year!

Blogger wishes the subscribers and readers of the Notes From Pakistan a Very Happy New Year!

December 31, 2015 No Comments

Forsaken by the State

Note: The day Benazir Bhutto was murdered, December 27, 2007, it was the day when all the semblance of government evaporated in Pakistan; there was widespread anarchy and uncertainty; there was arson, loot, and destruction. Fear prevailed. As if the life and property of ordinary citizens of this country were forsaken by the State! Here is the Story: Where there is no property there is no injustice.John Locke Regardless of the controversy whether we human beings are by nature good or bad, what is crucially required to keep our society intact is that we must be treated as free agents.

December 27, 2015 No Comments

The road ahead is quite straight

This article was written last year in the wake of December 16 APS Tragedy to expose the Politicians’ inaction. It’s still relevant today on December 16, 2015. The road ahead is quite straight Beware of the politicians! They cannot think and act out of their politically blocked mentality! They are a victim of paradigms made of their own choice; that’s why they disdain rules, laws and the constitution, which require and bind them to act accordingly. They won’t break the paradigms, which ensure their short-term survival, and it’s seldom that they shift to newer paradigms of thinking and action in

December 15, 2015 No Comments

Crimes and the political alibi

“I am a politician; I cannot commit any crime; I am perfectly innocent!” That is how, as we know at least in Pakistan, politicians argue. That manner of political self-defense clears the two-way traffic: criminals may become politicians; and, politicians may become criminals. Pakistanis have enough of both. And the breed is multiplying like rabbits. All the more, species belonging to other realms of social, economic, military, cultural, religious have started aping the politicians. They have learned the art of politics from them. That’s a hundred percent fool-proof method of overcoming any odds. Also, that has rendered all the systems

December 7, 2015 No Comments

Dr Khalil's Intellectual Space

Pak Political Economy +

Dr Khalil's Intellectual Space

Pak Political Economy +

English

Archive

Urdu