Jan 2022

Urban Policing and Police Reforms in Pakistan Police and policing face many challenges in Pakistan. From retrograde legal framework to archaic criminal and business processes, all sorts of perceptions are associated with these challenges. One amongst the key challenges is urban policing which is not only nationally important but has …

Thana Culture Thana Culture is a negative connotation which is used to indicate the non-friendly attitude of the police station (Thana) staff towards the general public. Following notions form part of that perceived notorious Thana culture: Bribery Sifarash Dreadful environment Rude behaviour by the police station staff Misuse of power …

TAX DISPUTE RESOLUTION The apex revenue authority at the federal level, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), administers four major laws at national level. These are Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, Sales Tax Act, 1990, and Federal Excise Duty, 2005, by Inland Revenue Service (IRS), and Customs Act, 1969 by Customs Group. …

Understanding Pakistan–Russia Rapprochement Until recently, the bilateral ties between Russia and Pakistan remained hostage to historical baggage. Trust deficit (Pakistan’s almost blind pursuit of US strategic objectives and Russia’s continuing strong ties with India), regional dynamics, mutually exclusive geopolitical and geo-economic considerations, economic imperatives and strategic culture of both countries …

The Quirinale Treaty Post-Merkel power balance in Europe? After years of diplomatic tensions, Italy and France, the two biggest economies in the European Union after Germany, have signed an enhanced cooperation treaty. On November 26, the leaders of the two Mediterranean powers long bound by historical, cultural and linguistic ties …

Ten Trends to watch in 2022 Marking another year impacted by Covid-19, people are looking forward to what 2022 will hold. But, it’s always impossible to know, and this year it’s partly due to the unpredictability of certain international actors. But the tone of the current happenings suggests that the …

Postponement of WTO Talks Poor countries can’t be kept poor The World Trade Organization (WTO) has become the first major diplomatic casualty of the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, when it postponed its first ministerial meeting in four years due to the deteriorating health situation because Switzerland, home to the WTO, …

EU’s Global Gateway An answer to China, or ‘another rubber check’? For almost 10 years, China has been diligently building a new Silk Road. Through ports, railroads and other infrastructure, it is trying to bind other countries economically to itself. Although this leaves partner countries with a lot of debt …

Biden’s Democracy Summit Democracy today is going through a bad time all around the world. The ghost of the Arab Spring still haunts us. Authoritarianism and dictatorships have emerged within various structures in different countries around the world. By taking away the freedom of expression and the right to elect …

The Circular Economy Could rethinking design transform the world? From textiles and plastic, to electrical waste: the world is drowning in rubbish. However, business executives are becoming more aware that the natural resources needed to create products are not infinite. The traditional “linear” economic business model — create, sell, discard …