Dr Khalil's Intellectual Space

Pak Political Economy +

Dr Khalil's Intellectual Space

Pak Political Economy +

The debacle of East Pakistan—Who is the real culprit? ZAB or General Yahya?

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. […]

The Women’s Movement in Pakistan has crossed a milestone

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 […]

Aslam Effendi – An Unsung Free Marketeer from Pakistan

Note: This article was written in early 2011 as a short introduction to the life and work of Aslam Effendi and was included in the book, Hard Facts of History, by Aslam Effendi that was published in February 2011 by the Alternate Solutions Institute. It was back in March 2002 that I came to know […]

Creative Destruction: The Way Forward for the Economy of Pakistan

No documentation. No income tax. Only consumption tax in one digit at the POS. 50% cut in the size of the government. 50% cut in the spending by the government. Let everyone import. Let everyone export. No licensing. Only registration. Minimum tax/duty.

اقتدار کی جنگ اور ہم شہری

ایک طرف دو قوتیں: عدلیہ اور عمرانیہ دوسری طرف دو قوتیں: قائمیہ اور سیاسیہ ان میں سے ایک راستہ ممکنہ طور پر آئینی حکمرانی کی طرف جا سکتا ہے۔ جبکہ دوسرا راستہ آئین کی لازمی تنسیخ اور فسطائیت کی طرف جاتا ہے۔ اقتدار کی اس اعصاب شکن جنگ کا اہم ترین پہلو یہ ہے کہ […]

ایک بڑا خلطِ مبحث: عمران خان کو سیاست میں ہرائیں

پاکستان کے دانشور اور تجزیہ نگار ایک سے بڑا ایک خلطِ مبحث پیدا کرتے رہتے ہیں۔ اور پھر خود ہی بڑے ناز سے بتاتے ہیں کہ بس یہی آخری صداقت ہے۔ ان کا یہ عمل ایک مغالطے کو تخلیق کرنے اور پھر اسے ایک سچائی کے طور پر پیش کرنے سے مماثل ہے۔ جبکہ ان […]

The unraveling of IK Fascism in Pakistan

Here are two books and a movie to understand the nature of fascism and the unravelling of IK fascism in Pakistan. 1.⁠ ⁠Political Ponerology: A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes, by Andrzej Lobaczewski 2.⁠ ⁠The Mass Psychology of Fascism, by Wilhelm Reich 3.⁠ ⁠Movie: A Special Day, by Ettore Scola […]

The Presidential Debate: The Way They Behaved

The US Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on September 11, 2024, was qualitatively a bit better than the previous debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Donald Trump behaved and was less harsh and emotional. He was composed and calculated. Kamala Harris appeared acting, overreacting, and playing more to the gallery. She […]

I represent the people. And that’s my choice.

I do not represent this state, this bloodsucking state, until it changes and is out of the Jaws of the Riyasati Ashrafiya.

Why do we need a limited government in Pakistan?

Playing with or using or spending other people’s money engenders reckless behavior. That’s one of the arguments that call for a limited government. Not only for a limited government, but in principle no government intervention in the market, but very rarely, like the case of the CCP (Competition Commission) in Pakistan. And most of all, […]

Regarding what’s happening presently in the power corridors of Pakistan

Could there be any disaster greater than the debacle of 1971? It’s a power struggle between those who follow nothing, no constitution, no laws, no values, no principles, no traditions, no norms, but only when they all or any thing benefit them. And they all include in this no-holds-barred fight: politicians, military, judges, intellectuals, NGO-minds, […]

Imran Khan Phenomenon: A Penultimate Explanation

[This piece I wrote like in a fit.] Finally, I found what may be termed the penultimate explanation. Since this IK (Imran Khan) phenomenon emerged on the political scene in Pakistan (end of 2011), I have been writing and speaking about it, trying to explain it. Although, of course, there could never be a single […]

7 arguments against devolving government to the local level

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 a fad, it means it is accepted without giving it any thought or putting forward any arguments. It acquires the status of something taken for granted. And it is presented […]

Elite Capture – A Misleading Term

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 state.

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, I made a comment in a WhatsApp group, of which most of the prominent intellectuals are members. And thus, a discourse was set in motion. The discourse is copied below, […]

Theory of Riyasati Ashrafiya and Colonialism

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 of the state in the subcontinent and how that institution of the state was co-opted by the (Muslim) Ashrafiya and how the Ashrafiya took hold of a constitutional state after […]

When to topple a government-the case of Bangladesh and Pakistan

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 what has been happening in Pakistan. Earlier, my inclination was the same as the presently held firm view: When to try to topple a government? My answer is: Never! In […]

Indian and Pakistani Society: Social, Cultural, and Sexual Upheaval

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 both countries is playing the role of a leg-puller with a degree of difference, it’s because in India, the size of the middle class is much larger than Pakistan’s.

If one believes in violence, one can never play a positive role in the resolution of a conflict

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 whatever conflicts one has to deal with. Most probably, one would contribute towards sharpening the existing conflicts and thus would help give rise to new conflicts. Violence is one such […]

The Matrices of State Economics

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 expenditures as a percentage of GDP. Why don’t we have such matrices that measure how much tax burden was put on taxpayers and how that burden made their standard of […]

سعادت حسن منٹو ۔ کون؟

سعادت حسن منٹو ایک متنازعہ شخصیت ہیں۔ ایک متنازعہ مصنف ہیں۔ ایک متنازعہ افسانہ نگار ہیں۔ ان کے بارے میں متعدد سوالات تسلسل کے ساتھ

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سادگی کا رنگ

ان کی سادگی کا رنگ اتنا گہرا ہے، اس کا احساس نہیں تھا مجھے۔ ہاں، اتنا ضرور معلوم تھا کہ ان کی زندگی سادگی سے

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بات آگے کیسے بڑھے گی؟

اگر آپ اپنی بات پر قائم ہیں، میں اپنی بات پر قائم ہوں، تو بات آگے کیسے بڑھے گی؟ کچھ عرصے سے یہ معاملہ مجھے

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کلچر کی چکی

نہر پر چل رہی ہے پن چکی دُھن کی پوری ہے کام کی پکی (اسماعیل میرٹھی) کلچر کی چکی رکتی نہیں۔ چلتی رہتی ہے۔ جب

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ٹرک، فوجی ٹرک اور سیاست

اپریل 1986 میں بے نظیر بھٹو کئی برس کی خودجلاوطنی کے بعد پاکستان واپس آئیں۔ لاہور میں ان کا شاندار استقبال ہوا۔ وہ ٹرک پر

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نقصان برائے نقصان

ایک چیز یہ ہوتی ہے کہ کوئی کسی کو نقصان پہنچاتا ہے اپنے فائدے کے لیے۔ چلیں اس نے خود کوئی فائدہ تو اٹھایا۔ مگر

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مایوسی کی نیند

اپنی مایوسی کو اگر کسی چیز سے تشبیہ دینا چاہوں، تو ایک ایسی ترکیب اور ایک ایسی عمارت کا ڈھانچہ ذہن میں آتا ہے، جسے

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