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Development work hazards
Given the spate of recent natural disasters, growing malnourishment and lingering basic health problems, such as the prevalence of easily preventable diseases, require redoubled efforts by development...
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Religious intolerance — the bigger picture
Attacks on places of worship, on places of residence, targeted killings, forced conversions and blasphemy allegations are the different forms of persecution that minorities in Pakistan have...
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Planning for monsoon floods
A new government has been elected after a historic democratic transition. It faces Herculean tasks including revival of the economy, addressing the pervasive inequalities and improving the dismal...
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Need to curb deforestation
Despite the significance of forests in helping preserve biodiversity, combating climate change and supporting people’s livelihoods, Pakistan has not paid much heed to protecting its forest cover since...
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Address the plastic bags scourge
One hopes that the new government will pay heed to recent attempts by its predecessors to finally begin addressing the problem of plastic bags, which has become a major environmental problem for the...
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Can computerisation alter our ‘patwari’ culture?
The need for computerising land records is being endorsed by several prominent politicians as a vital component to curb widespread corruption, particularly to rein in the infamous “patwari culture”...
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MDG targets and us
One doesn’t need to be a development expert to realise that the Pakistani state remains unable to provide even the most basic of necessities to its citizens. It is, nonetheless, useful to note the...
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Rethinking Malala’s UN visit
The recent speech given by Malala at the UN youth assembly has provoked opposing feelings, which reflect a disturbingly sharp divide in our society. Malala’s supporters are proud of her bravery, her...
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Significance of the female jirga
It is intriguing to notice how a group of women have come together in Swat, of all places, to form a female jirga to improve access to justice. Swat is the same place where the Taliban shot and...
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Can servants become domestic workers?
It is good to see a private bill having been drafted for domestic workers in Pakistan. While the odds of private bills being endorsed by the parliamentary majority needed for them to turn into law are...
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What’s wrong with our agricultural policies?
While a bulk of our populace still resides in rural areas and is directly involved in agricultural activities, Pakistan remains unable to overcome the problem of food insecurity. Agricultural...
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The elusive goal of devolving power
Devolving power down to lower levels is widely considered as the means of making governance more transparent, effective and transparent. Our democratic governments, however, are not finding it easy to...
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Pakistan’s underperformance in achieving MDGs
Since the past two decades, the need to place people rather than economic growth at the centre of national and international development efforts has gained wide acknowledgement. Pakistan is also among...
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Melting glaciers
During this past week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its latest summary concerning the current state of global warming. This summary report is part of a trilogy of...
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Is the World Bank reforming its approach?
Given that the World Bank’s proclaimed ‘fight against poverty’ is far from over, the international lending agency seems keen to adopt a shift in its approach towards addressing deprivation in poor...
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World Food Prize controversy
The decision of awarding this year’s World Food Prize to scientists who were at the forefront of developing genetically modified crops has become the subject of intense controversy. The World Food...
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Growing old in Pakistan
Given the pervasive poverty, lack of adequate investment in health infrastructure, and the pathetic state of pension schemes and insurance coverage, it should not be surprising that we, as a nation,...
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Global slavery index
While the very notion that human beings can still be subjected to slavery may seem incredulous, the fact remains that brutally exploitative practices such as forced labour and human trafficking remain...
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The IMF’s puzzling optimism
An IMF team that visited Pakistan during this past week, in connection with its latest lending package, has expressed broad satisfaction with the country’s progress, subject to its latest intervention...
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Reckless borrowing
Despite the fact that Pakistan has come close to the brink of default more than once, our leaders continue borrowing money like there is no tomorrow. During these past three months alone, the debt...
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