Governance Challenges Confronting Pakistan M.H. Rehman Challenges have been the companion of human being for aeons. All societies and states have had to face challenges and it is the very response to them that sets states on course of development or deterioration, progress and prosperity or poverty. It is, in short, all about converting challenges into opportunities, weaknesses into strengths …

The Hype and Beyond Climate change has been the buzzword around the globe during the recent years. From governments to civil society organizations to academia, everyone is talking about it, and is wary of the adverse impacts this phenomenon is going to have on terrestrial life. There is hardly any difference of opinion that climate change is occurring – difference …

An overview of the health system in Pakistan over the past 70 years offers evidence of efforts for better service delivery as well as challenges and impediments in this regard. The challenges have spread over a wide area including policy formulation, financing (or lack thereof), coordination of available resources and implementation at the level of end users – the people …

Pakistan has a very high number of out-of-school children despite the fact that country’s constitution makes it mandatory for the government to educate all citizens. Expenditure on education in the country has historically remained the lowest in the South Asian region. As an alternate to formal education, religious seminaries (Madaris) have offered education to a large segment of society, especially …

The civil and criminal justice system in Pakistan has historically been confronted with complaints of inefficiencies, serious legal and procedural lacunas and inordinate delays. All these challenges in litigation of civil and criminal cases have, over time, become chronic and proverbial. These challenges in the law and justice system of Pakistan, however, need to be seen against the backdrop of …

With an unexpected run for the President of the United States of America in 2016, Donald Trump caused ripples across the global political scene. His win came as a shock to many, as most reputable polling sources — including FiveThirtyEight, the Associated Press and the New York Times — had predicted a landslide Democratic win; some giving Hillary Clinton a …

“How can low- and middle-income societies improve the conditions of their people?” This question keeps continuously resonating around the world. There has been a growing strand of literature for answering problems of development in a new light. It emphasizes that in order to address the problem of development, we need to understand better the structure of economies and polities and …

Local bodies are basic building blocks of governance. Being closest and easily approachable to the common man, these bodies are widely considered the ultimate governance instrument for solving most basic problems, addressing small-scale development needs and community welfare, hence infusing in the masses a sense of ownership for these bodies. For effective, efficient and representative local governance, local government elections …

On July 15, 2016, a group of Turkish military officers, and soldiers under their command, staged a coup to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and take over the country. Their principal focus was on Ankara and Istanbul; taking control of Istanbul’s bridges, airports, the Turkish parliament, and some police stations. The coup was either ill-planned, badly executed or it was …

The US presidential election is unique in the sense that the President is not directly elected by the people; it’s the Electoral College that elects him and it’s a distinctive compromise between the election by the US Congress and by popular vote. Currently, there are 538 Electors from all States and a vote of majority — 270 votes — is …