by Saif Asif Khan effect of increasing the total number of regulations, paperwork and bureaucrats employed. Essentially, what Graeber is arguing is that bureaucracy begets bureaucracy: any efforts to do away with bureaucracy will simply end up increasing bureaucracy. The argument sounds compelling, especially when applied in our local context. What is the kneejerk reaction to anything that is brought …

By Sirajuddin Aziz Should managers and supervisors give feedback? Does it help? How frequently should feedback be given? The answer to the first two interrogative sentence is a loud ‘yes’ and to the third interrogative remark, it depends upon requirement to do so but most commonly it is associated with annual appraisal exercise. Doing this exercise once a year, is …

The post of UN secretary general is a thankless job carried out by an uninspiring figure. A candidate has no chance of being selected if either the US or Russia oppose him – and for its entire history it has been a ‘him’ – which automatically disqualifies anyone who may try to add teeth to the organisation. The main work …

By: Waseem Shaukat Always the hotbed of terror Considering the turmoil our country is going through at present, we need to show solidarity and national integration. Yet it is heart-rending to note that some people in the country are following agendas of those who want to break Pakistan May it be the historic war fought against Russia (Afghan Jihad), the …

by Sarwat Yasmeen Azeem My first encounter with the practice of using first names irrespective of age occurred at a meet-and-greet at a university in the UK. Fresh off the boat from Pakistan and 22 years old, I introduced myself to the 50-something lecturer who cheerily responded, `Call me David! Very much taken aback, I blurted, `I can`t do that. …

By Elaine Ou IT`S fun to imagine a world without cash. Liberated from the burden of physical currency, consumers could make purchases from the convenience of a mobile device. Every transaction would come equipped with fraud protection, reward points and a digital record of its time and location. Comprehensive tracking could help the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United …

By: Afshan Subohi The going is expected to get tougher for economic managers as political shocks become a norm, armed conflicts intensify in volatile Middle East and hopes of global economic recovery anytime soon wanes, world leaders in the grand congregation at the annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF warned last week. Global economic prospects appear uncertain and …

By: Khaleeq Kiani Amidst the domestic debate of a political nature over the route and benefits of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the International Monetary Fund has come up with its analysis of the pros and cons of the landmark initiative, with a word of caution. This is perhaps the first independent scrutiny by a multilateral agency of the $51.5bn project …

By: Ashraf Jehangir Qazi The writer is a former ambassador to the US, India and China and head of UN missions in Iraq and Sudan. MR António Guterres is the perfect pick for the “most impossible job in the world”. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I headed UNAMI in Baghdad and was much impressed by the ability, …

National Oct 14: A Corps Commanders conference was held at the GHQ in Rawalpindi. Highlights The conference was attended by all corps commanders and principal staff officers. COAS Gen Raheel Sharif called for sustained efforts to defeat all hostile attempts to reverse the gains of Operation Zarb-i-Azb. He emphasised the need for effectively addressing the challenges to internal security. He …