“The Idiots Republic of Al-Bakistan”

Thug Life in the Idiots Republic: An Eye Opener By Simon Templar The level of public debate is so ill informed in this self styled fortress of Islam, that if it were not so painful to the educated eye, it would be hilarious. Illiteracy has been chosen as the best opiate to keep the masses

Pakistan, US Aid Agency’s Efforts Produce Dubious Results

By Saba Imtiaz/ NYT Sept 12, 2015 The ads are a staple of Pakistani television: footage of water gushing through dams, farmers standing in green fields, a girl using a computer. At the end, the red, white and blue logo of an aid organization flashes on the screen with its slogan, “from the American people.” The

Journey from Pakistan to Al-Bakistan

by Nida Paras Radicalization is the main factor of extremism and extremism leads to terrorism, which according to statistics has caused 130,000 fatalities worldwide, between 2006 and 2013. In Pakistan, around 60,779 people have lost their lives between 2003 and 2016 due to terrorism, and Pakistan stands at 4th out of 124 countries in a

Getting Away With Murder: Behind the Investigation of Benazir Bhutto’s Assassination

by Heraldo Muñoz:: August 19, 2013 On the evening of December 28, 2007, the day after former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, Javed Iqbal Cheema, a retired brigadier general and spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of the Interior, gave a televised press conference to set out the cause of her death as well as to name

Why Zardari Needs Bullet Proof Vehicles?

The previous government under the tutelage of Asif Zardari allowed the import of nearly 200 bullet-proof vehicles for politicians, businessmen and diplomats, accepting their claim that in the increasingly deteriorating law and order conditions they needed special measures for their protection. Prominent among the importers of such vehicles were Asif Ali Zardari, who during 2008-2013,

The EOBI Corruption Galore

The Supreme Court ordered the FIA to complete investigations into the Rs40 billion Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) scam in 10 days without taking into consideration ranks, position or political clout of the accused. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had taken notice on the basis of media reports about investments

Taliban Have Reached Karachi

Karachi is no stranger to gangland violence, driven for years by a motley collection of armed groups who battle over money, turf and votes. But there is a new gang in town. Hundreds of miles from their homeland in the mountainous northwest, Pakistani Taliban fighters have started to flex their muscles more forcefully in parts

Tax Breaks During the Last Six Months of the PPP Rule

From July to December 2012, the federal government transferred Rs592 billion or 37.8% of the annual commitments made under the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to provinces whereas it should have been 45%. For the current fiscal year, the federal government is expected to disburse Rs1.45 trillion to the provinces as per their share

Not All Drone Strikes Are Carried Out by the Americans

U.S. Disavows 2 Drone Strikes Over Pakistan When news of the two latest drone strikes emerged from Pakistan’s tribal belt in early February, it seemed to be business as usual by the CIA. Local and international media reports carried typical details: swarms of American drones had swooped into remote areas, killing up to nine people,

Extraordinary Perks and Benefits For Our Rulers

By Huzaima Bukhari & Dr Ikramul Haq The Supreme Court on April 17, 2013 suspended the March 14, 2013 notification issued by Interior Ministry granting former interior minister Rehman Malik and his predecessors lifetime perks and privileges. Hearing the suo moto notice case regarding the unlimited perks and privileges granted to two former PMs, all

The Reckless Borrowing By the Government is Retarding the Economic Growth

Living beyond means By Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on January 22, 2013 reported that public sector borrowing from commercial banks between July 2012 and January 2013 rose to Rs770 billion from Rs627 billion a year ago. In the absence of foreign inflows, the net government borrowing from

The Eighteenth Amendment Has Virtually Destroyed Pakistan

by Noreen Haider One of the things that the present PPP led coalition government is very fond of taking credit is the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment and that after this phenomenal success the provinces have been made fully autonomous. The genesis of the eighteenth amendment is that it has created a “new federalism” where the authority