In the subcontinent, Muslims, led by the Ali Brothers and others, were waging the Khilafat Movement to save the Ottoman Caliphate from the British. Meanwhile, in Turkey, Muslims under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s leadership abolished the Ottoman Caliphate. Ironically, the same ethos persists in Pakistan today. Khalil
Too much mess. All in all, it is too much mess. Yes, the government has created too much mess. It has become a total administrative state, especially in the province of Punjab, and every government, be it federal or provincial or AJK’s or GB’s, has mismanaged everything to the hilt. Yes, all the governments need […]
It always happens that the essence of the work is lost, and the outward form survives. Not only does this outward form survive, but it also loses all its semblance and transforms into mere optics. For instance, politics has become but a second name for the optics now. Likewise, in the work of “flood relief,” […]
Most Pakistanis are psychological creatures. Only a minority elevate themselves to a philosophical level, and a lot of them now and then relapse again into their psychological niche. So we have very few philosophical beings in our midst. The majority of political beings are also psychological beings. And it is for the same reason that […]
To keep on imploring a government to do this and to do that is just useless. Absolutely useless. I mean when it is done by an intellectual, a journalist, a columnist, an analyst, a civil society organization, an alliance of CSOs, an NGO, an alliance of NGOs, talk show hosts, a think tank, a political […]
Ahmed Jamal Pirzada is a lecturer in economics at Bristol University, UK, and interested in macroeconomics. In February-March 2022, we had a polite tweet exchange (now X exchange), so rare on the Twitter-space, triggered by his appreciation of Hammad Azhar, Minister of Energy in the incumbent (de facto) government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. HA is the […]
In my opinion, the following is the case. This country was achieved by the politicians by waging a peaceful political and democratic struggle. And it was meant, constitutionally, to be run by politicians. Though the original constituent assembly was dissolved. And whatever constitutions were agreed upon or promulgated or enforced or dissolved or revoked halfway, […]
Re East Pakistan into Bangladesh… the role of Zulikar Ali Bhutto and/or General Yahya… who’s the real culprit? In principle, it’s the politicians who are to exercise the mandate given to them. And be they military or any other departments or agencies, they are in fact merely employees. So the responsibility rests with the politicians. […]
On this Women’s Day (8 March 2025), have a look at the newspapers; most of the politicians and public personalities are trying to highlight the good role they played in favor of this movement. That’s the power of the women’s movement in Pakistan. First they opposed it. Then they opted to remain silent. Then they […]
The issue of devolution of powers to the level of local governments has become an intellectual, political, and economic fad in Pakistan. When something becomes
Elite capture is a euphemism and a misleading term that conceals the real extent of an impactful phenomenon, that is, a systematic capture of the
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. Miftah Ismail’s Economics Far Cry From His Party’s Record This is merely a
Note: A version of this article was published in the Friday Times. Project Imran Has Necessitated Shock Therapy For Pakistan’s Politics Top leadership of the
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. Can A People-Centered Charter Of Economy Be
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