By Syed Fazl-e-Haider
The federal budget 2008-09 has earmarked Rs1 billion for setting up of Gwadar’s Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and Rs750 million for construction of new Gwadar international airport. Continue reading »
Jun 302008
Jun 292008
Some people liken the desert to nothingness, a place where nothing happens. They are wrong. Desert is about piety and piety is about abstinence from everything that, for those who know not, makes life worth living Continue reading »
Jun 292008
Lacking a state-led effort to involve the masses at large in the debate, the poor credibility of the state in the eyes of the people would inevitably allow the Taliban to run a successful anti-state PR campaign in the wake of the collateral damage Continue reading »
Jun 292008
The massacre of 22 rival tribesmen by Baitullah Mehsud’s Taliban fighters in Jandola, close to the Frontier Corps headquarters, and attacks on girls schools in the Swat Valley indicate the impunity with which the militants are operating Continue reading »
Jun 292008
Civilian political leaders need to get their act together in order to ensure Pakistan’s internal cohesion and democratisation. If the political forces drift in different directions, the ongoing democratic experiment can run into serious trouble Continue reading »
Jun 292008
I believe that deep down all Pakistanis wish PIA to succeed, rise to become the airline it set out to be — a truly national airline that brings pride to the country and its people. I believe deep down, people don’t have anything but fond hopes for the airline’s revival — anything to make it pull out of its current death plunge. But wishes are not horses and so PIA lurches on from crisis to crisis. Continue reading »
Jun 292008
Peshawar — literally ‘High Fort’ in Persian — now stands encircled. Haji Mangal Bagh Afridi controls most of what is west of Peshawar. Dara Adam Khel, a mere 35 kilometres south of Peshawar, is controlled by Baitullah Mehsud’s loyalists. Charsadda and Shabqadar, both less than 30 kilometres north of Peshawar, Continue reading »
Jun 282008
ISLAMABAD: The British government’s new ‘Points Based System’ for those wishing to go the UK to work or study, announced in February will come into effect in Pakistan on Monday, the British High Commission said on Friday. “From 30 June 2008, the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme will be replaced by Tier 1 of the Points Based System, Continue reading »
Jun 282008
Zahid Malik
A perception is fast developing that the country is being trapped and derailed. My interaction, on almost a
regular basis, with a cross-section of people, including political leadership and some of the top policy-makers in Islamabad-Rawalpindi, makes me concerned about the deteriorating situation. Continue reading »
Jun 282008
DR HAFIZ A. PASHA AND DR AISHA GHAUS PASHA
ARTICLE (June 27 2008): FINANCING OF THE BUDGET DEFICIT: An important reason why the country is in the grip of high inflation is that a large proportion of the deficit was financed by borrowing from the State Bank of Pakistan. Continue reading »
Jun 282008
ZAHEER ABBASI
ISLAMABAD (June 28 2008): The inflation measured through SPI was up by 26.79 percent in week ending on June 26 against same period of last year due to surging prices of vegetable, flour and milk. The SPI data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics on Friday showed that prices of 16 essential commodities, including vegetables, wheat flour, eggs, milk, and pulses had increased during the week. Continue reading »
Jun 282008
Can Pakistan do more? Yes, I think Pakistan can do more to ensure peace, even through negotiations; but it will take extraordinary political sagacity and courage Continue reading »
Jun 282008
No strategy is going to work miracles. Neatness is not the order of the day here. Political cost will go up, at least in the initial phases; collateral damage will occur; people will face hardships
Continue reading »
Jun 282008
The inability of the government to deliver, and the consequent self-reliance of a hopeless population has created a scenario where the idea of a orderly state espoused by the Tehreek-e Taliban, however medieval or draconian, sounds increasingly appealing to a population disconnected from politics in Islamabad Continue reading »
Jun 282008
The budget presented by Naveed Qamar on June 11t needs to be dissected and analysed in the context of the positions adopted by the respective coalition partners of the government post-February 18. Those among us expecting the current polarization to dilute and good governance to become the order of the day have had a rude awakening. Continue reading »