Depoliticization and its causes
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
November 11, 2015
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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 dignity, Etc. Etc. Etc., how come nationalism emerges there? Nationalism grows up in a society where ordinary citizens feel indebted to their state, government, its institutions, etc. (police, courts, bureaucracy, […]
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 rate is negative, the taxes should be negative. Likewise, if the growth rate is positive (increasing), taxes should be positive (increasing). Taxes are there to accrue to the government in […]
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 (FDI) coming to Pakistan. Not only do our governments boast about increasing FDI, but the commentators also appreciate it as an important gain. The SBP regularly updates the figures. Their […]
Note: This article was originally published in The Express Tribune ISLAMABAD: In their latest survey, Gallup & Gilani Pakistan asked a nationally representative sample of adult men and women: “Compared to ten years ago, do you feel more financially prosperous, less prosperous, or indifferent?” Surprisingly, 35% of respondents reported feeling financially better off now compared […]
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 carried out half-heartedly. Privatisation is only a part of this process. It may not succeed if done in an isolated manner. Among other things, it requires a competitive environment to […]
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 me to send something for their first ever issue of the Voce of Taxpayers. I thought what could be better other than this piece, why there is no anti-tax narrative […]
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 economists serve? I shared the idea with a number of friends including a few proper economists. They did not like it. They rather took it as something questioning the rationale […]
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 published in The Express Tribune] Most of the supporters of the IK/PTI were/(are) haters of politics and politicians generally, and especially Sharif Family and Benazir Bhutto/Zardari Family. That’s why not […]
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. Because there are no anti-tax writers but hardly a few. Because there are no anti-tax economists but hardly a few. Because there is no anti-tax opposition. Because there is no […]
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 told them the following: – that party contested the elections, they had an election manifesto, they already know what to do. – There are so many op-ed writers, analysts, etc, […]
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 rather being rewarded and Noor Jahan was being meted out a punishment. The same is the case of Filers and Non-Filers. The government wants to punish the Non-Filers, but in […]
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 me ‘You’re not an economist.’ After keeping quiet on a number of occasions, I insisted ‘let’s see what I have got to say.’ Yes, I am not an economist, trained […]
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 years were marked by disappointment over failure of the Movement of the Left in Pakistan. He died in depression. He was a polymath. A poet, literary critic, film critic, singer, […]
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 politics as well. JIP provided IK with the crutches (ڈوبتے کو تنکے کا سہارا) at a time when the IK’s party, PTI has abandoned him and the Party itself stands […]
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
چند خبریں ملاحظہ کیجیے، اور سوچیے طالبان اور طالبان نواز افراد اور جماعتوں میں کیا فرق ہے۔ میری رائے میں طالبان تو بزور پاکستان کی
Today’s tweet: Despite shifts in security policy, there are Good Taliban, and Bad Taliban; friend Raza says, a new category has emerged, Very Bad Taliban
The talk of alcohol, drugs and call girls in the parliament lodges, Islamabad, is not new; Jamshed Dasti only repeated it. http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-139500-Dasti-claims-to-recover-bag-full-of-liquor-bottles-from-parliament-lodges- Everybody knows the
Here is one post from Shahid Mehmood’s blog: http://shershahsuree.blogspot.com I was recently forwarded Asad Umar’s two part article on the subject of privatization (which appeared in