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
December 27, 2015
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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 bashing. Are these old Marxists in new garb? Are we bashing success? Do we want communism? Reply by KA: Kindly pen down your (anti-) thesis and then anyone may counter […]
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 such is the plight of a perennial borrower. Yes, a borrower, and not a beggar, as the taunt always goes. Obvious that beggars are not required to return the alms […]
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 reason, an intellectual or a political analyst, or a politician himself causes a stir. Now when Maryam Nawaz Sharif, daughter of M Nawaz Sharif was made senior vice president and […]
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 tried to switch it on, it did not. However, whatever was the fault, electricity supply started restoring after 15 hours. The same is the case with democracy in Pakistan. The […]
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 cursory review/critique of politics and economics Miftah Ismail has lately been doing. Miftah Ismail is expressing his differences with the PMLN top leadership openly and in a challenging manner, and […]
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 PMLN failed to convince Asif Ali Zardari to boycott the 2018 general elections together. Zardari was of the view they should not leave the political field open and uncontested. He […]
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 Achieved? The continuing debate on a charter of economy was initiated by two of the largest political parties, PPPP (2011) and PMLN (2015). But the civil society of Pakistan has […]
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 case the state makes it happen, as it is trying to put all the burden of its own failures on the civil economy, that would be catastrophic. And that would […]
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 constitution) be done away with. That will allow the politics to survive or die or reform on its own and minimize the direct or indirect interference of the courts and […]
The barter is the essence of economics. Ultimately it’s a good (or a service) the exchange of which takes place. The economics happens between two or more barters. That is, economics rages prior to and after a barter. Let Economics be that simple. All else is a lengthy note appended to it by the apologists […]
Note: Here conversation means any serious exchange of ideas between two or more persons. Nothing in any manner has any reference to any person whosoever. As I am interested in ethics also, by observing what usually happens in conversations at various fora from a chat between a few friends or acquaintances to a large organized […]
One friend sent this excerpt from Oswald Spengler: “This machine-technics will end with the Faustian civilization and one day will lie in fragments, forgotten — our railways and steamships as dead as the Roman roads and the Chinese wall, our giant cities and skyscrapers in ruins like old Memphis and Babylon. The history of this […]
The solutions economists put forward, such as to the (economic) problems/crises faced only by the state/government; I mean most of the economists, or almost all of the State Economists do that, and all of their solutions culminate in extracting more and more value or the wealth created by the entrepreneurs/citizens, i.e. that value and/or wealth […]
In view of the massive taxes killing the economic life of ordinary citizens, Pakistani economists need to come out of their comfortable economic models and embrace the Economic Activism, some of the ingredients of which may be as follows: Main ingredients of Economic Activism: Radical solutions Ready-to-practice solutions Campaigning for those solutions Activism for those […]
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
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
“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.
The two noblest professions are teaching and politics. [Aristotle] Back in 2002 when the 35th Annual Session of Pakistan Philosophical Congress held in the Bukhari
Here is the first part of this article: A depoliticized Pakistan on the rampage The 2nd and the final part: Depoliticization and its causes What’s a depoliticized
Note: I sent this piece of writing to all the newspapers one by one; none bothered to see it or use it, that I am
Note: This article was completed on December 31st, 2014, and was originally posted on this Blog in January 2015. Presently there is happening quite a
Note: I completed this article on December 9, 2014, and wrote: “(Government) ought not to be afraid of martial law the prospects of which are
Patron Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Shahid Rasheed Button says State Aristocracy is being promoted in Pakistan. Here is the story published in Pakistan Observer
Pakistan is a criminally horrible state. Read the whole story, published in The Express Tribune on September 15, 2015: Minister directs hospitals to remove political
So to say, in about 70 years, the political gains Pakistan’s polity has been able to make are dismal! Pessimistically, it’s NOTHING! Optimistically, it’s merely
It seems the present dispensation of PML-N believes in no principles of taxation. It’s just there to extort whatever amount of taxes the Federal Board
Note: This article was completed on August 4, 2014. Since then little has changed; this piece is still relevant on this 68th Independence Day. Stray
A person who is murdered, has he any rights? That question may seem strange. Let me add another dimension to it: What’s the spirit of
The pivot of politics is always seeking power, so that a political party is able, so to say, to implement its program on the basis
Countries may be likened to individuals who are resourceless and in order to grow and progress need help from their near ones, dear ones or
The Government of India Act 1935 declared “Pakistan” only as an independent dominion. Then in the constitution of 1956, the state was named as the
The title of this piece appears to be problematic. One can argue how cynicism may be confined to geographical specifications such as one of Pakistani
History is replete with stories of off-springs used in order to seize and wield power. One such story has been narrated by Abdul Haleem Sharar
کل 17 اپریل کو میں ریاض صاحب سے ملنے گیا۔ ریاظ ، مصورہیں اور بیشترعلمی و ادبی کتابوں کے سرورق کھینچتے ہیں۔ وہ کہنے لگے،
The case of 2014 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Malala Yousafzai, which she shares with an Indian Kailash Satyarthi, who has devoted himself to the
It does not need any political acumen to see the reality behind the results of those surveys which declare the governance in the province of
Better to start with two clarifications: First, this piece does not raise the question of Pakistani state’s viability in the sense Pakistan’s Leftists and liberals
In the matters of running the state of Pakistan, penetration of politics, politicians and political considerations have marred the capability of the state to think
Nothing can be understood in isolation. So is the case with three recent press releases of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), which acts as
Years back, when the very well-know Pak Tea House was closed down, a small portion of the Hall III, Al-Hamra, The Mall, Lahore, was made
As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek launched this August 14 their “Azadi March” and “Inqilab March” respectively, and then undertook the Sit-Ins (Dharnas)
Everything has an aesthetic aspect. Politics is one of them. The political aesthetics appears, among other things, in two forms: Mannerism; and, Language. The others
The blood of “Minorities” and the flag of Pakistan! Note: This comment and the picture was originally posted on August 14, 2014.
In Pakistan, everything stands politicized. So is religion. Those who are clever enough make hay while the sun shines. Tahir-ul-Qadri is one of them and
The place is not far from Islamabad. A three hour drive and one is far away from almost everything Pakistani. Not only is the weather
It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them
Mr. Khan now be serious! Somehow the circumstances have made you a political leader. Now you lead a political party, which has a considerable following;
Mr. Prime Minister! You are better placed than any other Pakistani citizen, since you are sitting in the center of the state. The office you
Years back, I sent an article titled, “Nationalization of social and moral values in Pakistan,” to a newspaper. It did publish but with entirely a
The cities and suburbs of Pakistan are bursting with millions of teeming citizens, old and young, men and women and children alike. They earn their
In Pakistan, the state is the problem! See these pictures: Women protest Muridke police torture of Razia Bibi, who was on full-term, that caused a
Here is what the upper house of the Pakistani parliament is interested in: Greener pastures: Senators seek equal share in foreign trips [The Express
Here is the media release: New book – “Pakistan’s Democratic Impasse” published The book indicts politicians as the main culprit for failing the state of
Here is the Introduction by the authors: The recipe for growth is well-known. Most economists would agree that lower taxes and less regulation can encourage
Note please! By sheer mistake, last night I deleted a number of posts from the blog: http://NotesFromPakistan.blogspot.com That’s why many a link may not work;
الفاظ ہم خود بناتے، گھڑتے اور تراشتے ہیں۔ لیکن یہ بھی اتنا ہی سچ ہے کہ جواباً الفاظ بھی ہمیں بناتے، تراشتے اور بگاڑتے ہیں۔
سقراط ازعائشہ اشفاق نور الحمد پبلی کیشنز، لاہور، 2014 مختصر جائزہ : [نوٹ: عائشہ اشفاق نور کی کتاب ’’سقراط‘‘ کا یہ جائزہ جون 14 کو
یہ پوسٹ ایک گذشتہ پوسٹ سے جڑی ہوئی ہے، جس میں اسی موضوع پر خامہ فرسائی کی گئی تھی اور پنجاب حکومت کا ایک اشتہار
سول پاکستان کی تلاش میں اک پاکستانی کس طرح سویڈن میں جا بستا ہے۔ جبکہ بیٹرا تو یہ اٹھانا پڑے گا کہ موجودہ پاکستان کو
رضا علی عابدی بہت دھیمے انداز میں بات کہتے ہیں۔ دیکھیے انھوں نے پاکستان کی ریاستی اشرافیہ کی کارگزاریوں کو کیسے بیان کیا ہے۔ پڑھیے
ریاستی اشرافیہ کی ہوس ماند پڑنے کا نام نہیں لیتی۔ یہ ریاست کو لوٹنے سے باز نہیں آتے۔ اور تب تک لوٹنے سے باز نہیں
پاکستان میں جسے سرکاری نوکری اور ساتھ کچھ تھوڑا بہت سرکاری یعنی ریاستی اختیار مل جاتا ہے، وہ بے چارہ احساسِ کہتری اور کمتری کا
ذیل میں دو کالم نقل ہیں۔ دیکھیے بڑے بڑے کالم نگار کن معاملات میں الجھے ہوئے ہیں؛ ان کی دلچسپیاں کیا ہیں؛ ان کی انا