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Introduction Pakistan as a country is faced with many challenges. One of the key challenges is of ‘governance’, the term which defies definition. For discussion, a working definition by the Canada-based Institute of Governance may be used here. It states: “Governance is how society or groups within it, organize to make decisions.” Based on this definition, the governance in Pakistan …

Some Tricks from former US President Barack H. Obama During his tenure as President of the United States, Barack H. Obama was famous for always appearing cool and calm. The press sometimes called him “No Drama Obama” and didn’t always mean it kindly. Mr Obama said there was some truth to the nickname when he repeated it on stage at …

Everyone wants a piece of Afghanistan After four decades of war and chaos, situation in Afghanistan is likely to enter a new phase –US withdrawal and a peace deal between Taliban and the United States and Afghan government. On various grounds, questions are arising about the future setup in Afghanistan with apprehensions that it might plunge into a situation where …

Meritocracy is a myth invented by the rich A major college admissions scandal in the United States has revealed the dark side of America’s hypercompetitive, brand-driven approach to higher education. It has laid bare the elaborate lengths some wealthy parents will go to get their children into competitive American universities.  In its “Operation Varsity Blues,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation …

The ills of junk economics During the recent years, there has been an astonishing rise in wealth of a few individuals, leading to income inequality globally which is no less that a crisis that deserves urgent attention. Among many reasons for urgency is the fact that the overwhelming disparity has now reached a point where it may seriously start to …

In the second half of the twentieth century, in the wake of World War II, social scientists began to tweak development models that were built and based on the economic trajectory of the West. Their hope was to use these models as guides for policymaking and forecasting. They also hoped to make economic growth and institution building seem manageable and …

BREXIT is a lesson for all of us: it’s time for renewal French President Emmanuel Macron has outlined his vision for fundamental reform of the European Union in an article published in several European newspapers. In his column, French President laid out a plan to protect democracy in Europe. It includes new border controls and higher penalties for firms that …

By: Sajjad Ikram United Nations The UN Security Council has passed nearly a dozen resolutions condemning North Korea for its nuclear pursuits. Over time, the sanctions have expanded to: 1. ban the trade of arms and military equipment, dual-use technologies, vehicles, industrial machinery and metals; 2. freeze the assets of individuals involved in the country’s nuclear programme; 3. ban the …

By: Sajjad Ikram What’s next for US-North Korea denuclearization negotiations? It is common for movie critics to say the sequel is not as good as the original. And many diplomatic critics will judge that the second installment of the Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un widescreen bromance fell short of expectations. Having failed to produce any agreement, the Hanoi summit did …

Letters to the Editor (April 2019) Shahnaz Begum Celebrated Bangladeshi singer Shahnaz Rahmatullah, also known as Shahnaz Begum, passed away in Dhaka on March 23. She was born in 1952 in Dhaka and started her career at a very early age. Soon she became a household name in Pakistan with her melodious voice and popular songs like ‘Sohni Dharti Allah …