Do we want recognition or should we focus on ending our growing social marginalization and economic inequality? Sultan Abbas Outsiders perceive Hunzukutz (people of Hunza) as a closely-knit community, rarely mingling with others, mostly self-absorbed and largely boasting of their marginal achievements. This self-delusional culture has allowed the evolution of an internal competition on flimsy and superficial pretexts. We appear …
Pervez Hoodbhoy BANGLADESH is not some Scandinavian heaven. It is poor and overpopulated, undereducated and corrupt, frequented by natural catastrophes, experiences occasional terrorism, and the farcical nature of its democracy was exposed in the December 2018 elections. But the earlier caricature of a country on life support disappeared years ago. Today, some economists say it shall be the next Asian …
The name of the official news site of the government of Turkmenistan expresses what might be the closest thing to the sealed-off state’s official ideology: Zolotoi Vek, or Golden Age. Toni Michel In recent years, Turkmens have been constantly reminded that theirs is a country enjoying unprecedented material and spiritual wealth. The latter is, according to the official narrative, helped …
In this presentation, Daniyar Kosnazarov analyzes the projection of China’s soft power in Kazakhstan, and draws attention to the barriers that limit Chinese public and cultural diplomacy in Central Asia. Daniyar Kosnazarov Back in 2014, I was part of a team that established a new government think tank in Astana. At our meeting with president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, we …
KARACHI: Deposit growth of the banking system stalled in 2018 despite one of the largest interest hikes of 4.25 per cent in a single year. At 8pc, the rise in deposits was the slowest in a decade, according to a research note put out by Topline Securities. The State Bank of Pakistan reported deposits of scheduled banks grew by Rs992.11 …
Muhammad Asghar RAWALPINDI: In order to put an end to the VIP culture, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) scrapped all protocols and extraordinary arrangements for government and non-government officials across the country. This was done on the directive of the airlines’ president Air Marshal Arshad Malik who asked the PIA to follow the regular procedure at all level. The president and …
To mark the New Year, we asked a group of senior and emerging thought leaders and policy practitioners to list the eleven top areas likely to fill Pakistan’s policy radar in 2019. The New Year promises unprecedented opportunities for progress and peace for Pakistan and the broader region. Geo-economics is a potent new trend line expanding our horizons …
WILL the PTI’s model of a welfare state serve as a catalyst to laying the foundation of an egalitarian society where, as the party manifesto claims: ‘Every Pakistani feels empowered, has control over their own lives in a just and equitable environment?’ Jawaid Bokhari In a recent interview Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that ‘everything we strive for … will …
For the first time, army has admitted that they do not own Okara Military Farms agriculture land. Farooq Tariq In a first, the army has admitted that the Punjab government owns the Okara Military Farms, paving the way for granting ownership of the land to the tillers and an end to intimidation and coercion of their leaders. This came to …
APP The government on Monday announced a decrease in petroleum prices for the month of January, slashing the rates of petrol and diesel by Rs4.86 and Rs4.26 per litre, respectively. The price of kerosene oil has been reduced by Rs0.52 and that of light diesel oil (LDO) by Rs2.16 per litre, a finance ministry statement said. The new price of …
