Judicial Interventions In Political System Must End

As the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) hears a petition against the postponement of elections for the Punjab assembly, the crisis within the Pakistani…

A Polarised Polity And Its Warring Institutions

The March 1 verdict of the Supreme Court, instructing the president and governors to consult with the ECP and decide the date of elections in Punjab…

Pakistan’s Ruling Classes Squabble As Masses Endure Hyperinflation

The ongoing polycrisis exhibits the longstanding contradictions within the Pakistani governance system, wherein there is no consensus on who will run the country. Are…

Shambolic Governance And The Doctrine Of Necessity

After three days of intense drama, the Supreme Court of Pakistan conditionally allowed the incumbent Army Chief to continue in his office for six…

Supreme Court’s Unexpected Intervention In Gen Bajwa’s Appointment Has Created A New Crisis

Institutional wrangling, botched up decision making of the federal government have thrown the country into another phase of political uncertainty. Supreme Court’s decision to suspend notification…

Mukhtaran Mai’s Struggle For Justice Is Heroic

In June 2002, Mukhtaran Mai was raped and paraded naked around the village on orders of a Jirga after her brother (a 12-year-old) was…

8 years in prison without fault: Asia Bibi leaves Pakistan

It’s a shame that Asia Bibi wouldn’t be able to live in Pakistan, her home country, where she was born, raised and jailed for…

Katas Raj Temple Case concludes and the verdict is guilty

The Katas Raj Temple case has been concluded and the verdict is guilty. But the Supreme Court has asked the cement company to make…

Nawaz’s forced exit redraws power matrix

Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification was not an unforeseen event. The situation since last year had been leading towards a grand finale and his forced exit…

This summer Pakistan enters into another phase of instability

Pakistan is slowly gearing up for another round of political instability. By all accounts, the Prime Minister and his political fortunes are likely to…

An elusive victory

Third time elected PM has once again survived in office. Two Supreme Court judges in their dissenting judgment found Sharif guilty of the charges…

Mumtaz Qadri – Salmaan Taseer – Blasphemy it was not

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty for Mumtaz Qadri “the policeman who murdered former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in January 2011 for…

Is Pakistan heading for early elections?

Published in India’s leading weekly Tehelka Deep political instability immediately before the elections makes it difficult for a smooth transfer of power Just when…

What is the threat? What is the way out?

In these times, when the country is burning and militancy is at its peak, the priorities of the unelected institutions are curiously different. Peshawar…

“animal rights” for alleged terrorists!!

How horrific to read this news-analysis with this grim end-note: “while the bourgeoisie likes to proclaim India the ‘world’s largest democracy,’ it is increasingly…

Naeem Bokhari – More sinned against than sinning

Yesterday, All Things Pakistan published my little protest against the uncalled for treatment of the much maligned Naeem Bokhari. A few excerpts here.. We…