How to rot with success

Another day, another judgement, another sentence. But is it really Imran Khan who is at the receiving end? On Saturday the accountability court handed down seventeen-year sentences to the PTI founder and his wife Bushra Bibi. In the case known as Toshakhana, the prosecution argued that the former First Couple had under-invoiced a gift from […]

Kautilya knew

Long before Machiavelli, the Indian strategist Kautilya articulated a blunt theory of power in the Arthashastra. Writing in the fourth century BCE, he rejected the idea that moral restraint governs state behaviour. Power, he argued, dictates norms; ethics follow advantage. Rulers, in his view, often preach moderation not because they practice it, but because they […]

More women voting

Pakistan’s democratic landscape is in the middle of a quiet revolution, as millions of women have been showing up at the ballot box for the first time in recent elections. In just one cycle, the Election Commission says, the gender gap on the nation’s electoral rolls has narrowed from 11.8% in 2018 to 7.1% in […]

Afridi seeks timely NFC payment from Centre

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to the development of far-flung and underdeveloped areas, pledging to utilise all available resources to address public hardships and create employment opportunities, particularly through the promotion of tourism. The chief minister expressed these views during a meeting with former provincial minister Shaukat Yousafzai. Afridi […]