Editorials

One fine day in November 2002, former Information Minister, (Late) Khalid Ahmad Kharal, filed an election petition in Lahore High Court, seeking the disqualification of his opponent Riaz Fatiana, who had won his seat for NA-94, Kamalia in Elections 2002. Kharal’s petition revolved around the fact that his opponent was convicted by an accountability court …

Pakistan has come at serious crossroads. It is imperative that a clear narrative is constructed and followed by the state and society about the significance of our children’s protection. Zainab Ansari’s case seems to have flooded all restraints of pretention and shame. Pretention by the law enforcement and media involves sweeping the issue under the …

Chief Justice of Pakistan is in the limelight these days because of his stormy actions and decisions. He wants to remind federal and provincial governments their duties of public service. His predecessor Iftikhar Chaudhry had done the same but could not make any difference. The only thing he earned was the reputation of a controversial …

Pakistan has been witnessing judiciary’s activism against politicians since its inception. Pakistani politicians are perceived as ‘Rogue elephants’ and are always in the line of fire under generals, judges and the media. The history of politicians’ victimisation by judiciary and generals, especially during military dictatorships in Pakistan, goes a long way back. Victimisation was at …

What is wrong with Pakistani democracy? If anything, the right of political opposition and pressure groups to protest and make demands of the government tick the right boxes in favour of democracy. In recent events, such mass protests have borne results. Demands were met, albeit after intervention by army and we saw the government letting …

Speaker of National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, voiced his fears of the incumbent assembly being unable to complete its tenure due to internal and external challenges shocked everyone, including his own party leaders. However, he ruled out possibilities of martial law. Responding to these apprehensions, Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, says that the fear might be …

Well into its fourth year, the PML-N government couldn’t have played a worst innings. Mishandling of political dissent, underplaying the corruption of most political officeholders, creating regional and international isolation and now a looming economic crisis. What will be the legacy of the PML-N government? The economic analysts wonder at the pace as Pakistan heads …

According to credible reports, at least seven persons, including a policeman, were killed and 187 were injured during clashes between protesters of Tehrik e Labaik Pakistan (TLP) and the police on November 25th in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The government involved Pakistan Army in the conflict and struck a deal with the protestors. Punjab Rangers were …

Pakistan’s Lahore court decision to release Hafiz Seed recently from his house arrest has attracted international criticism of the national regime creating a situation for national policy at home. Washington has seen the release of Saeed as an act of noncompliance with its conviction to deseed all terrorist elements from its soil, threatening Pakistan of …

US Congress has recently announced a change in the National Defence Authorisation Act 2018, NDAA 18, that no longer requires US Secretary of Defence to certify that Pakistan has used military operations to quell the activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Haqqani network. The new version of the NDAA18 requires Pakistan to focus on quashing …