Daily Current Affairs

In recent days, a number of commentators have, while expressing grave concerns about the economy, suggested that a financial emergency should be imposed to deal with the present economic situation. It is important that we examine the provisions of the constitution relating to financial emergency to understand under what conditions such a measure may be adopted and how it can, …

The threats and bullying by President Trump have created a difficult situation for Pakistan. What is the way forward? The Trump administration formulated its Afghanistan policy after six months of careful deliberation. Apparently, Pakistan was either not consulted during this process or its views were not taken into account before Islamabad was asked to make an indefinite commitment to what …

BEIJING — Two weeks after taking China’s top office in November 2012, Xi Jinping took part in what seemed like a throwaway photo op. He took his top lieutenants to the newly renovated National Museum of China, a vast hall stuffed with relics of China’s glorious past: terra-cotta soldiers from Xi’an, glazed statues from the Tang dynasty and rare bronzes …

Egypt’s enthusiasm to arbitrate between feuding Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, is not the outcome of a sudden awakening of conscience. Cairo has, in fact, played a destructive role in manipulating Palestinian division to its favor, while keeping the Rafah border crossing under lock and key. However, the Egyptian leadership is clearly operating in coordination with Israel and the United …

On July 14, 2016, as French families strolled along Nice’s seafront promenade, a Tunisian man driving a large truck rammed into a crowd, killing 86 people. A month later, the mayor of nearby Cannes declared that “burkinis” — a catchall term for modest swimwear favored by many religious women — would be banned from the city’s beaches; a municipal official …

The Indian air chief’s recent boast about striking Pakistan’s nuclear installations has been dismissed by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif with the contempt that it deserves. Not only is this threat contrary to the Pakistan-India agreement not to attack each other’s nuclear facilities but is nonsensical as Pakistan’s nuclear assets are not vulnerable to such an attack and would definitely invite …

It is difficult to deny the large-scale implications of extending the jurisdiction of the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court to Fata and annulling the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). Extending the jurisdiction of the superior judiciary to Fata is indeed a great leap forward in mainstreaming the region. Likewise, the annulment of the FCR at once would also be …

The recently-concluded foreign minister-level interaction between Pakistan and the United States showed that there are wide gaps in the foreign policy dispositions of the two countries pertaining mainly to Afghanistan, countering terrorism in the region and a framework for bilateral cooperation. The only redeeming feature of this dialogue is that despite their differences, Pakistan and the US agree to continue …

To ensure social and physical mobility of the rising population of Karachi, an expansive and safe traffic plan must be envisaged and implemented The partial release of census 2017 results has caused anxiety among those following urbanisation trends in the country. According to many, the figures need a thorough review, especially with respect to population of large cities, cumulative urban …

The existing complex tax laws should be replaced by a new simple law after a meaningful public debate to accelerate economic growth and better tax collection On September 13, 2001, the duo of General Pervez Musharraf [seized power in a military coup on October 12, 1999 and resigned on August 18, 2008 from the presidentship to avoid impeachment] and Shaukat …