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Toshakhana controversy | Dawn
‘TOSHAKHANA’ — the local definition of the state treasury where gifts received by state officials are deposited — was not a very familiar term in our political discourse. But it has suddenly sprung up in the media and is being passionately debated everywhere...........
Key Words: Toshakhan, ECP, Imran Khan
Key Words: Toshakhan, ECP, Imran Khan
Will early elections resolve the stalemate in Pakistan? | Arab News
The pivot around which Imran Khan’s entire protest movement revolves is the demand for an early general election in Pakistan. General election is the term used for election........
Key Words: early elections, PTI, political parties
Key Words: early elections, PTI, political parties
Voter turnout fault lines | Dawn
VOTER turnout is as vital a sign of the political health of democracy as is blood pressure in a human body. Pakistan has consistently experienced three major fault lines...........
Key Words: Voter turnout
Key Words: Voter turnout
Here comes another expensive long march to Islamabad | Arab News
Long March’ has by now become an established tradition of Pakistani politics. Various political parties give different brand names to such marches such as ‘Azadi March’ of JUI-F in 2019........
Key Words: Long March, PTI
Key Words: Long March, PTI
Why this conflict? | Dawn
SOMETIMES we feel overwhelmed by the multifaceted conflicts in our society and wonder whether it is unique to us or if the situation is more or less the same in other countries and therefore there is no need to be unduly alarmed...........
Key Words: conflict, parliamentary system, civil-military relations
Key Words: conflict, parliamentary system, civil-military relations
Multiple candidacies | Dawn
THE by-elections held on Oct 16 were extraordinary for a number of reasons. First, the constituencies were arbitrarily picked for re-election by accepting the resignations of only 11 out of 123 PTI..........
Key Words: by-election 2022, contest in multiple constituencies, ECP
Key Words: by-election 2022, contest in multiple constituencies, ECP
Deciding election dates | Dawn
A FACTOR critical in deciding the outcome of an election is the time when it is held. The power to fix the election schedule is, therefore, considered important in democracies..........
Key Words: ECP, Local government elections, by-elections
Key Words: ECP, Local government elections, by-elections
The farce of intra-party elections in Pakistan | Arab News
South Asia’s oldest political party – Indian National Congress (INC) – is about to hold the historic election of its new President. It is historic because for the first time in the post-independence history of this 137-year-old party........
Key Words: Intra party elections, Internal democracy, political parties
Key Words: Intra party elections, Internal democracy, political parties
سول ملٹری تعلقات میں بہتری کے لیے یہ ٹھیک وقت کیوں ہے؟ | ڈان
سابق وزیرِاعظم عمران خان کے پاس تو شاید ’اسٹیبلشمنٹ‘ پر تنقید کرنے کی اپنی ہی کوئی وجہ ہو لیکن یہ حقیقت ہے کہ سول ملٹری تعلقات ایک طویل عرصے سے موضوع بحث رہے ہیں۔ تاہم عمران خان نے اس پر جس انداز میں کُھل کر بات کی ہے ایسا ملکی تاریخ میں پہلے کبھی نہیں ہوا۔
Key Words: Civil-military relations, political parties, establishment
Time for a new beginning | Dawn
FORMER prime minister Imran Khan may have his own reasons to lash out at the ‘establishment’, but the fact is that the subject of civil-military relations has been around for a long time.........
Key Words: Civil Military relations, Political leaders, Establishment
Key Words: Civil Military relations, Political leaders, Establishment
There is no moral case for Pakistan’s large cabinet | Arab News
With the latest addition of two Special Assistants, the extended cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif including Ministers, Ministers of State, Advisors and Special Assistants.......
Key Words: Federal Cabinet, History of Federal Cabinet
Key Words: Federal Cabinet, History of Federal Cabinet
Do parties understand youth bulge? | Dawn
PAKISTAN is the 46th youngest country with a median age of 20.4 years among 237 countries and territories in the world, according to UN Population Division statistics released this year. Among nine (if Iran is included) South Asian countries,
Key Words: Young voters, young candidates, Youth voter turnout
Key Words: Young voters, young candidates, Youth voter turnout
How are political parties funded in Pakistan? | Arab News
The funding of political parties in Pakistan has been in the news since the ‘prohibited funding case’ against Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) was filed some eight years ago. The subject however, came into sharper focus when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
Key Words: Funding of political parties, ECP
Key Words: Funding of political parties, ECP
Unceasing political vendetta | Dawn
WE have a history of political feuds and vendetta that run through generations. It may be difficult to pinpoint the origins of the politics of vendetta but the misuse of laws and state institutions to settle political scores started as early as 1949 when Proda
Key Words: History of Political Parties, Political Vendetta, Political Victimization
Key Words: History of Political Parties, Political Vendetta, Political Victimization
ECP: after the verdict | Dawn
THE Election Commission of Pakistan recently passed an important order in the eight-year-old prohibited funding case instituted against the PTI on the complaint of one of its founder members, who contended that the party was receiving and managing funds in gross violation of the law.
Key Words: ECP, PTI Prohibited funding case
Key Words: ECP, PTI Prohibited funding case
Lessons in party fund-raising | The News
Probably for the first time in the country’s history, public attention has been drawn towards the critical but largely neglected subject of political finance through the recent judgment of the Election Commission of Pakistan
Key Words: Political parties funding, ECP, Prohibited funding
Key Words: Political parties funding, ECP, Prohibited funding
Short-changing Provincial Autonomy | Dawn
MORE than anything else, it was our inability to manage the provincial aspirations for autonomy which resulted in the break-up of the country in 1971. Even today, despite having undergone a major constitutional makeover in the form of the 18th......
Key Words: 18th Amendment, Provincial autonomy, history of Federalism
Key Words: 18th Amendment, Provincial autonomy, history of Federalism
The Facade Of True Representation | Dawn
IT makes every Pakistani immensely proud that the country came into being through a democratic process, but it remains to be seen whether we carried the process through and used it to become a developed society.
Key Words: History of Parliaments of Pakistan, History of Civil-Military relations, Democracy
Key Words: History of Parliaments of Pakistan, History of Civil-Military relations, Democracy
What follows ECP verdict | The News
Finally, after an eight-year-long wait, the ECP has spoken on the Prohibited Funding Case instituted against the PTI on a complaint by Akbar S Babar, one of the founding members of the party.
Key Words: PTI, Prohibited funding case, ECP
Key Words: PTI, Prohibited funding case, ECP
What does the change in Punjab really entail? | Arab News
Punjab is not just the largest province of Pakistan. Its population is greater than the population of the other three provinces put together. It has the highest GDP and the bulk of the country’s armed forces – the most powerful institution of the nuclear state – also comes from the province. Any political change in the province reflects on the entire national political scene in Pakistan.
Key Words: CM Punjab, PML, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi
Key Words: CM Punjab, PML, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi
Institutions crumbling? | Dawn
AS Pakistan gets ready to celebrate its 75th birthday, a range of institutions seem to have developed cracks manifesting decay that needs urgent repair. The institutions, both state and non-state, in many developed and developing countries face similar challenges but hardly is there a country where the crumbling of various organs of state is witnessed simultaneously.
Key Words: State institutions, Judiciary, PTI foreign funding
Key Words: State institutions, Judiciary, PTI foreign funding
After the by-elections | Arab News
Pakistan has seldom experienced such passionately contested by-elections as were seen last Sunday in 20 Provincial Assembly constituencies of Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab. The contest was between arch rivals Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) seeking to reclaim the government of Punjab
Key Words: By-elections 2022, PTI, PML-N
Key Words: By-elections 2022, PTI, PML-N
By-elections and more | Dawn
IT may seem that it is just 20, or some five per cent, of the total 371 seats of the Punjab Assembly which are at stake in this Sunday’s by-elections, but, in fact, a lot more is at risk — not only in the province but also at the national level.
Key Words: By-elections 2022, ECP, PTI
Key Words: By-elections 2022, ECP, PTI
Rethinking the presidency | Dawn
SOME of the recent actions by the president of Pakistan have revived the debate about the role of the president in a parliamentary system of government — specifically in our kind of parliamentary system.
Key Words: Presidential System in Pakistan
Key Words: Presidential System in Pakistan
Election: early warnings | Dawn
GENERAL elections may be 16 months away if the existing legislatures complete their full five-year term but election season seems to have already hit the country.
Key Words: LG elections, by-elections, ECP
Key Words: LG elections, by-elections, ECP
Pakistan splitting governance on party lines | Arab News
In a democracy anywhere in the world, dates set aside for debate and approval of the annual Budget are considered sacrosanct and both ruling and opposition parties look forward to expressing their views on the government’s most important policy document.
Key Words: Punjab Assembly, Punjab Budget session, Governor Punjab
Key Words: Punjab Assembly, Punjab Budget session, Governor Punjab
کیا بجٹ کی تیاری میں اسمبلیوں کا کوئی کردار ہوتا ہے؟ | ڈان
ہماری پارلیمنٹ کے دونوں ایوانوں اور چاروں صوبائی اسمبلیوں میں بجٹ اجلاس ہورہے ہیں۔ جون کے مہینے کے لیے مختص یہ روایت اگلے ایک سے 2 ہفتوں میں مکمل ہوجائے گی۔ ویسے تو بجٹ کی منظوری کا کریڈٹ (یا الزام) قومی اور صوبائی اسمبلیوں کو جائے گا لیکن یہاں یہ سوال پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ کیا بجٹ کی منظوری سے قبل اس کی تیاری اور نظرِثانی کے اہم مراحل میں ان منتخب ایوانوں کا کوئی کردار ہوتا ہے؟
Key Words: Parliamentary budget process, budget, Parliament
Budget: is parliament relevant? | Dawn
BOTH Houses of our national parliament, and the four provincial assemblies, have been holding their budget sessions. This yearly ritual reserved for the month of June will be over in the next one to two weeks. Formally, the national and provincial assemblies will be credited (or blamed) for passing the budget, but do the elected Houses have anything to do with the formulation, scrutiny or review — the essential steps prior to approval — of the budget?
Key Words: Parliamentary budget process, budget, Parliament
Key Words: Parliamentary budget process, budget, Parliament
Austerity & legislators’ perks | Dawn
AS the date for the annual budget presentation in parliament approached against the backdrop of the deepening economic crisis, the salaries and perks enjoyed by state functionaries came under renewed discussion and scrutiny. Sensing the public mood, the chair of at least one Senate standing committee voluntarily surrendered the petrol allowance for his state-provided vehicle for the next six months.
Key Words: Salaries & Allowances of MPs, Perks of MPs, Parliament
Key Words: Salaries & Allowances of MPs, Perks of MPs, Parliament
Another law for the Overseas Pakistanis’ vote | Arab News
WITH the Supreme Court order of May 17 — issued in response to a presidential reference seeking clarifications on Article 63-A or the defection of legislators from their parliamentary party — a new, game-changing chapter has been added to the parliamentary history of Pakistan
Key Words: Overseas Pakistani’s voting, EVM, Elections Act, 2017
Key Words: Overseas Pakistani’s voting, EVM, Elections Act, 2017
Accountability fails again | Dawn
WITH the Supreme Court order of May 17 — issued in response to a presidential reference seeking clarifications on Article 63-A or the defection of legislators from their parliamentary party — a new, game-changing chapter has been added to the parliamentary history of Pakistan
Key Words: Accountability, NAB, National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021
Key Words: Accountability, NAB, National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021
Rewriting defection | Dawn
WITH the Supreme Court order of May 17 — issued in response to a presidential reference seeking clarifications on Article 63-A or the defection of legislators from their parliamentary party — a new, game-changing chapter has been added to the parliamentary history of Pakistan
Key Words: Article 63-A, Defection, Supreme Court
Key Words: Article 63-A, Defection, Supreme Court
Is Pakistan’s water crisis simply a crisis of governance? | Arab News
At the time of its creation in 1947, Pakistan was fortunate to have abundant water resources with the mighty river Indus and five other tributary rivers forming the backbone
Key Words: Water Crisis, Governance Crisis
Key Words: Water Crisis, Governance Crisis
Who’ll miss the opposition? | Dawn
ALTHOUGH the question in the title is premature, some analysts seem to be worried about how the National Assembly will work without a large segment of the opposition whose members recently tendered their resignations
Key Words: PTI resignations, National Assembly, Opposition
Key Words: PTI resignations, National Assembly, Opposition
A terrible idea for Pakistan’s former ruling party to resign from parliament | Arab News
As soon as it became apparent that the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan could not be stalled any longer, he announced that all members of the National Assembly (MNAs) belonging to his party – PTI – would resign
Key Words: PTI resignations, NA Speaker, PTI
Key Words: PTI resignations, NA Speaker, PTI
Defection and democracy | Dawn
THE National Assembly of Pakistan made history by successfully passing the first vote of no-confidence against a sitting prime minister in the country. Earlier, two attempts to unseat a prime minister — one against Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in 1989
Key Words: defection, Article 63-A, vote of no-confidence
Key Words: defection, Article 63-A, vote of no-confidence
A bumpy road ahead for new Pakistani leadership | Arab News
The unprecedented has happened. For the first time in the history of Pakistan, a sitting Prime Minister has been sent home 15 months ahead of the scheduled completion of his term through the constitutional and parliamentary device of the vote of no-confidence
Key Words: Coalition government, Imran Khan, PDM
Key Words: Coalition government, Imran Khan, PDM
Role of the Speaker | Dawn
IT proved to be a fateful Sunday. The deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who was presiding over a sitting called specifically to vote on the no-confidence motion
Key Words: Ruling on No-Confidence motion, Deputy Speaker NA, Speaker NA
Key Words: Ruling on No-Confidence motion, Deputy Speaker NA, Speaker NA
The morning after: What if no-confidence motion against Pakistani PM goes through? | Arab News
What will happen if the no-confidence resolution against the Prime Minister is successful in the National Assembly?
Key Words: No-Confidence, Reference on 63-A, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Prime Minister
Key Words: No-Confidence, Reference on 63-A, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Prime Minister
Courting the courts | Dawn
MODERN democratic states generally operate through three distinct branches ie the legislature, the judiciary and the executive, with distinct areas of work
Key Words: No-Confidence, National Assembly, Prime Minister
Key Words: No-Confidence, National Assembly, Prime Minister
ووٹنگ سے قبل تحریک عدم اعتماد کو کن مراحل سے گزرنا ہوگا؟ | ڈان
اپوزیشن جماعتوں کی جانب سے تحریک عدم اعتماد جمع کروانے کے بعد وزیرِاعظم کو عہدے سے ہٹانے کے آئینی اور قانونی عمل کا پہلا مرحلہ مکمل ہوچکا ہے۔ قومی اسمبلی ارکان کی کُل تعداد کے 20 فیصد یا 68 اراکین کی حمایت یافتہ اس تحریک عدم اعتماد کو تمام اراکین اسمبلی کو بھجوانا ضروری ہے۔
Key Words: Parliamentary budget process, budget, Parliament
Demystifying the motion | Dawn
WITH the submission of the notice for a no-confidence resolution by the opposition parties, the first step of the constitutional and legal process for a vote to remove the prime minister has been taken
Key Words: No-confidence, NA, Prime Minister
Key Words: No-confidence, NA, Prime Minister
Is Pakistan’s neutrality on Ukraine against national interests? | Arab News
One may accept it as an unfortunate coincidence that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent official visit to Russia happened on the day President Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine
Key Words: Russia Ukraine War, UN, International Organizations
Key Words: Russia Ukraine War, UN, International Organizations
Government in waiting? | Dawn
POLITICS is once again on the upsurge in Pakistan. Both the ruling PTI and the opposition seem to have kicked off premature election campaigns
Key Words: PDM, PTI, PPP Long March,
Key Words: PDM, PTI, PPP Long March,
Diluting electoral credibility | Dawn
IT is distressing to see the federal government legislating by presidential decree to the total exclusion of any consultative process both within and outside parliament
Key Words: Elections (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, ECP, Ordinances
Key Words: Elections (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, ECP, Ordinances
Guest Editorial: Chasing good governance | The News
The outburst of criticism both from the Opposition and some cabinet ministers on the recently-announced results of a performance review of 41 ministries has
Key Words: Performance Management System, PTI, Governance
Key Words: Performance Management System, PTI, Governance
Elections and the courts | Dawn
IT was very heartening to see the Supreme Court putting its foot down and refusing to interfere in the schedule of the second phase of KP local government election fixed by the ECP for March 31
Key Words: ECP, KP Local Government Elections
Key Words: ECP, KP Local Government Elections
Measuring governance in Pakistan | Arab News
Making bureaucracies work has always been a challenge the world over. Even developed countries face this uphill task and continue to devise ways to improve the performance
Key Words: Performance Agreements, Governance, Cabinet Ministers
Key Words: Performance Agreements, Governance, Cabinet Ministers
Taking legislation lightly | Dawn
THE events in the Senate last week once again demonstrated that, with some notable exceptions, our honourable legislators, whether from the ruling party or the opposition
Key Words: SBP Amendment Bill, Legislation, Parliament
Key Words: SBP Amendment Bill, Legislation, Parliament
Pakistan slipping lower in corruption index is a bombshell revelation | Arab News
It was like a bombshell had hit the government, and its carefully cultivated image of a party fighting against corruption
Key Words: Corruption Perception, Pakistan, PTI
Key Words: Corruption Perception, Pakistan, PTI
اپوزیشن لیڈر سے مشاورت وزیرِاعظم کی مرضی نہیں ذمہ داری ہے | ڈان
وزیرِاعظم عمران خان نے ایک بار پھر اپنے دوٹوک انداز میں اعلان کیا ہے کہ وہ قائد حزبِ اختلاف شہباز شریف کے ساتھ کسی قسم کی بات چیت نہیں کریں گے
Key Words: Prime Minister, PM consultation, Leader of the Opposition
Key Words: Prime Minister, PM consultation, Leader of the Opposition
Prime minister’s responsibility | Dawn
ONCE again, in his characteristically blunt style, Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced that he would not engage in talks with Leader of the Opposition
Key Words: Imran Khan, Opposition, Consultation
Key Words: Imran Khan, Opposition, Consultation
Learning from the avoidable Murree tragedy | Arab News
Accidents do happen despite careful planning, even in organized societies boasting developed infrastructure and trained staff
Key Words: Murree tragedy, Governance, Tourism
Key Words: Murree tragedy, Governance, Tourism
Scrutiny and beyond | Dawn
THE much-discussed seven-year-old foreign funding case reached a major milestone about a month ago when the scrutiny committee constituted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted its report
Key Words: Foreign Funding Case; PTI, ECP
Key Words: Foreign Funding Case; PTI, ECP
Overseas Pakistanis can vote, but how? | Arab News
In a fitting close to the year, finally the President of Pakistan signed this month the historic Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021, earlier passed by a joint sitting of the two houses of parliament into an act of parliament
Key Words: Overseas Pakistanis Voting, ECP
Key Words: Overseas Pakistanis Voting, ECP
Local government’s return | Dawn
THE new cycle of local government elections in Pakistan started with a bang. Though delayed by more than a year, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first province to undergo the first phase of LG elections in 17 districts on Dec 19
Key Words: Local Government, KP, PTI
Key Words: Local Government, KP, PTI
The Sindh-centre strain | Dawn
RELATIONS between Islamabad and Karachi are on the boil. To an extent, it is understandable as the two governments are run by rival political parties — the PTI and PPP
Key Words: Sindh Government, Federal Government, Centre-Province Relations
Key Words: Sindh Government, Federal Government, Centre-Province Relations
EVM law: what next? | Dawn
FINALLY, the law has been passed by parliament. The government hopes that things will now move swiftly and that the law will ensure that the next general election scheduled in about 24 months is conducted using Electronic Voting Machines
Key Words: Parliament, EVM, ECP
Key Words: Parliament, EVM, ECP
A parliament in a hurry | Dawn
THERE may be many things wrong about the joint sitting of parliament that took place on Nov 17
Key Words: Parliament, EVM, Overseas Voting, ECP
Key Words: Parliament, EVM, Overseas Voting, ECP
The defining moment for Pakistan’s election commission is here | Arab News
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released two extraordinary and somewhat explosive enquiry reports last week.
Key Words: ECP, PTI, PMLN, Electoral System
Key Words: ECP, PTI, PMLN, Electoral System
Accountability compromised | Dawn
THE subject of accountability has always been emotive, deeply divisive and highly controversial in Pakistan
Key Words: Accountability, NAB, Pakistan, Rule of Law
Key Words: Accountability, NAB, Pakistan, Rule of Law
Absentee young voters in Pakistan | Arab News
IT is common knowledge that overall voter turnout in Pakistan is traditionally quite low. At an average of 47 percent in the past 1o elections
Key Words: Voter Turnout, Youth Voter Turnout, Young Voters
Key Words: Voter Turnout, Youth Voter Turnout, Young Voters
No-trust resolution dynamics | Dawn
A NO-CONFIDENCE resolution is not necessarily a negative move. In fact, the only feature that distinguishes a democratic system from a dictatorial regime is a well-defined
Key Words: No confidence, CM Balochistan
Key Words: No confidence, CM Balochistan
The next 22 months | Dawn
ANY government would feel overwhelmed by the challenges it expects to face in the remaining 22 months of its 60-month term but more so in the case of the current PTI-led government
key words: Electoral reforms, DG ISI, PTI
key words: Electoral reforms, DG ISI, PTI
Pakistan’s elusive local governments! | Arab News
NOTHING underscores the superficiality of Pakistani democracy better than the continuing absence of elected local governments across the country
key words: Local Governments, Governance, Pakistan
key words: Local Governments, Governance, Pakistan
Challenges to legislation | Dawn
LEGISLATION is the primary function of the national parliament and provincial assemblies and that is exactly why these are called the legislatures
Key Words: Parliament, PTI, FATF
Key Words: Parliament, PTI, FATF
Confrontations between Pakistan government and election commission may lead to systemic change | Arab News
The ongoing confrontation between the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is unprecedented. Opposition political parties criticized ECP in the past but this is probably the first time in the history of Pakistan
key words: Electoral Reforms, ECP, PTI
key words: Electoral Reforms, ECP, PTI
Other electoral reforms | Dawn
DEBATES, commentaries and analyses about Electronic Voting Machines have been dominating the print and electronic media over the past three months or so, and it is likely that the subject will continue to take centre stage in the political discourse for the better part of the remaining two years of the present government’s term
key words: Electoral Reforms, PTI, Parliament
key words: Electoral Reforms, PTI, Parliament
Imagining the next election | Dawn
THE fourth year of the government has barely begun but the prospects of the next election, which is not scheduled before the autumn of 2023, are already being widely discussed
key words: General Election 2023, ECP, Census 2017
key words: General Election 2023, ECP, Census 2017
Pakistan’s parliament in three years of PTI rule | Arab News
BOTH the fifteenth National Assembly of Pakistan and the PTI-led federal government completed their three years just five days apart; the assembly on August 12 and the government on August 17, 2021
key words: PTI, 3 Years Performance, Parliamentary Performance
key words: PTI, 3 Years Performance, Parliamentary Performance
AGP’s appointment | Dawn
THE auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) has just retired and, at the time of writing, the government must be going through the process of appointing a new full-time AGP
key words: AGP, Appointment, PTI
key words: AGP, Appointment, PTI
Defending intra-party differences | Dawn
THE so-called ‘two narratives’, or opposing point of views, within the PML-N have drawn the attention of the media and political opponents
key words: PML-N, Intra-party differences, Political Parties
key words: PML-N, Intra-party differences, Political Parties
India’s UNSC presidency and why it won’t hurt Pakistan | Arab News
Ordinarily, the election of a country as President of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should be a routine affair and not merit much discussion but there are reasons that the recent election of India to this coveted position for the month of August is being debated
key words: UNSC, India, Pakistan
key words: UNSC, India, Pakistan
Not on talking terms | Dawn
THE five-member Election Commission of Pakistan is once again lacking its full strength after members belonging to Punjab and KP retired on July 26
key words: ECP, PTI, PML-N
key words: ECP, PTI, PML-N
A toxic discourse | Dawn
THE recent campaigning for the Legislative Assembly election in Azad Jammu & Kashmir has taken political confrontation to a new low
key words: AJK Elections, PTI, Polarisation
key words: AJK Elections, PTI, Polarisation
International obligations | Dawn
IN this age of globalisation, nations are voluntarily giving up a part of their legislative sovereignty to supranational entities like the European Union (EU) and global agencies like the UN
key words: FATF, Legislation, PTI, Parliament
key words: FATF, Legislation, PTI, Parliament
Politics of overseas Pakistanis’ vote | Arab News
SINCE 1993, the question of enabling overseas Pakistanis to vote in Pakistani elections from their respective countries of residence has been hanging fire
key words: I-Voting, Overseas Pakistanis, Voting
key words: I-Voting, Overseas Pakistanis, Voting
Thoughts on the opposition | Dawn
THERE has been frequent and sometimes harsh criticism of the PTI-led federal government for its performance and quality of governance since the beginning of its tenure
key words: Opposition, Performance, Federal budget
key words: Opposition, Performance, Federal budget
Controversial poll reforms | Dawn
ARGUABLY the most controversial package of electoral reform proposals in the history of Pakistan is halfway through the parliamentary cycle to become a law
key words: Electoral Reforms, PTI, Parliament
key words: Electoral Reforms, PTI, Parliament
The UNGA special session on corruption fell way short of expectations | Arab News
THE United Nations General Assembly just concluded a unique special session from June 2 to June 4. It was the first ever session devoted to the issue of corruption in the history of the Assembly
key words: Corruption, UNGA, UNCAC
key words: Corruption, UNGA, UNCAC
Test case of political finance | Dawn
THE regulation of political finance (PF) offers one of the greatest challenges to democracies around the world
key words: Political Finance, Political Parties, ECP
key words: Political Finance, Political Parties, ECP
Technology and elusive electoral credibility | Arab News
The federal government under the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan seems to be in over-drive mode to introduce technology in electoral processes before the next general election due in 2023
Key words: EVM, ECP, Technology in Elections
Key words: EVM, ECP, Technology in Elections
Cabinet or a deck of cards? | Dawn
MORE than halfway into his five-year term, Prime Minister Imran Khan reshuffled his cabinet for the sixth time on April 16
key words: 6th Reshuffle in Federal Cabinet, PM
key words: 6th Reshuffle in Federal Cabinet, PM
How to mismanage an alliance | Dawn
THE Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the most recent of the alliances of opposition political parties, is facing an existential threat. The ANP, one of the 10 constituent parties, has already announced its decision to dissociate itself from the alliance
ket words: PDM Alliance, Opposition Parties
ket words: PDM Alliance, Opposition Parties
Meeting in quarantine: The wrong message | Arab News
It was unexpected and shocking when Prime Minister Imran Khan, four days into quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus infection, chose to chair a meeting of his media team at his Bani Gala residence
key words : PM, COVID-19, Meeting in Quarantine
key words : PM, COVID-19, Meeting in Quarantine
A price for independence | Dawn
IT was simply unprecedented. Three senior ministers of the government of Pakistan addressed a press conference using the official premises of the Press Information Department and demanded the resignation of the entire Election Commission of Pakistan
key words: Election Commission, ECP, ECP powers
key words: Election Commission, ECP, ECP powers
ECP: the sleeping giant? | Arab News
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has generally been criticized over its perceived or real inability to hold credible elections. The results of the last two general elections are bitterly contested till even today
key words: ECP powers, Senate Election, SC
key words: ECP powers, Senate Election, SC
By-election fiasco | Dawn
BY-ELECTIONS do spring surprises occasionally but despite the uncertainty about individual contests, these are considered sedate affairs in a democracy as, unlike a general election, the formation of a government is not at stake
key words: By-election 2021, Daska, Election Management, ECP
key words: By-election 2021, Daska, Election Management, ECP
Open or secret? | Dawn
THE Senate of Pakistan has existed since the 1973 Constitution was passed by the fifth legislature of the country. During this time, the election of senators has always been held through secret ballot
key words: Senate Election, Voting, Constitution
key words: Senate Election, Voting, Constitution
Foreign funding consequences | Dawn
FOUR major political parties of Pakistan, including the ruling party, are facing charges of receiving prohibited funds from foreign sources
key words: Foreign Funding of Political Parties, PTI Foreign Funding case
key words: Foreign Funding of Political Parties, PTI Foreign Funding case
PDM U-turns and possible opportunities | Arab News
The 10-party opposition alliance known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was considering, not so long ago, that it would resign from the National Assembly and four provincial Assemblies under the mistaken belief that this would render the Senate electoral college incomplete and in turn
key words: PDM, Opposition Parties, PTI
key words: PDM, Opposition Parties, PTI
Debate on ordinances | Dawn
THE good news is that the debate on the use of ordinances as the preferred mode of legislation in Pakistan has recently gained momentum
key words: Ordinances, Legislation, Parliament
key words: Ordinances, Legislation, Parliament
Challenges of Governance in the New Decade | Global Village Space
Governance and its improvement are of critical importance to Pakistan. Pakistan ranks among bottom one-fifth of over 200 countries and territories of the world in quality of governance on the World Bank
key words: Quality of Governance, Pakistan, Challenges, WGI 2020
key words: Quality of Governance, Pakistan, Challenges, WGI 2020
Preparing to govern in Pakistan: the case for shadow cabinets | Arab News
Prime Minister Imran Khan recently invited a great deal of criticism by admitting that he and his party, PTI, were not ready to govern the country when they won the election in July 2018
key words: Shadow cabinets, Governance, Democracy, Political Parties
key words: Shadow cabinets, Governance, Democracy, Political Parties
Evaluation performance | dawn
TWO extraordinary things happened on Dec 22 — in the context of chasing elusive good governance in Pakistan
key words: PTI, Governance, Performance Agreements, Federal Cabinet
key words: PTI, Governance, Performance Agreements, Federal Cabinet
A risky plan | Dawn
IF the Senate election takes place in March 2021 as scheduled, the PTI is likely to emerge as the largest party in the house, displacing the PML-N from that position
key words: Senate election, PDM resignations
key words: Senate election, PDM resignations
Pakistan’s obsession with elusive accountability | Arab News
Accountability has been political Pakistan’s obsession from day one – literally
key words: NAO, NAB, Accountability
key words: NAO, NAB, Accountability
Poll reforms, again | Dawn
PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan has once again expressed his intention to introduce three key electoral reforms
key words: ECP, Electoral reforms, PTI
key words: ECP, Electoral reforms, PTI
Bitter political play in Pakistan has dampened COVID-19 containment | Arab News
During the last nine months, the details and extent of playing politics right in the middle of the pandemic are different in different societies
key words: COVID-19, NCOC, Federal and Provincial Governments
key words: COVID-19, NCOC, Federal and Provincial Governments
Dialogue? What Dialogue? | Arab News
As the confrontation between the ruling coalition and the combined opposition seems to be intensifying and crossing all limits, saner elements in the political parties and beyond are getting worried about the possible outcome of the war of words being waged on national and social media 24/7
Key Words: Government and Opposition, Polarisation, PDM
Key Words: Government and Opposition, Polarisation, PDM
Production orders | Dawn
THE subject of production orders for detained legislators is once again in the headlines
key words: Production Order, Speaker, Parliament
key words: Production Order, Speaker, Parliament
What next for Imran Khan’s ‘State of Medina?’ | Arab News
Catchy slogans sell way more than a well-thought out and immaculately structured manifesto in an election in Pakistan
Key Words: State of Madina, PTI, Slogans
Key Words: State of Madina, PTI, Slogans
High time parliament said ‘aye’ for new voting system | Arab News
Pakistan needs a new parliamentary vote-counting system as the flawed one it has once again came into focus during the passage of the controversial Islamabad Capital Territory Waqf Properties Bill 2020 on Sept. 16
key words: Voting system in Parliament, Vote Count, Parliament
key words: Voting system in Parliament, Vote Count, Parliament
Disturbing trends in legislation | Dawn
SEPT 16 was another sad day in parliament when legislators from the treasury and the opposition almost came to blows while the opposition openly expressed lack of trust in the speaker
Key Words: FATF, NAB, Legislation
Key Words: FATF, NAB, Legislation
Advisers, SAPMs and cabinet | Dawn
THE recent nine-page judgement of the Islamabad High Court regarding the alleged illegal exercise of executive powers by an adviser to the prime minister has clarified many legal questions
Key Words: IHC judgement, Advisors and Special Assistants, Federal Cabinet
Key Words: IHC judgement, Advisors and Special Assistants, Federal Cabinet
Evaluating the performance of Balochistan assembly | Arab News
I have been observing the national and provincial legislatures in Pakistan and abroad for nearly two decades
key words: Balochistan Assembly, Performance, Provincial Assemblies
key words: Balochistan Assembly, Performance, Provincial Assemblies
Parliamentary performance | Dawn
THE 15th National Assembly completed two years on Aug 17. Its performance during this period has been the subject of discussion in the past few days
key words: Performance, Parliament, First 2 Years of National Assembly
key words: Performance, Parliament, First 2 Years of National Assembly
Politics of dual nationality | Arab News
Two parallel thought streams have been flowing in Pakistan regarding the public place of overseas Pakistanis and, more specifically, those who have acquired the nationality of a foreign country
Key Words: Election, Dual Nationals, Constitution
Key Words: Election, Dual Nationals, Constitution
The reason why debate on 18th Amendment refuses to die | Arab News
The 18th Amendment became part of Pakistan’s constitution about ten years ago when President Asif Ali Zardari signed it on 19th April 2010
Key Words: 18th amendment, Revisit, Parliament
Key Words: 18th amendment, Revisit, Parliament
Performance debate | Dawn
SUDDENLY, the debate on government performance seems to be all over the place. On second thoughts, it may not be so sudden
key words: PTI, Governance Performance, 100 days agenda
key words: PTI, Governance Performance, 100 days agenda
How much should legislators be paid? | Arab News
Around mid-June, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance unanimously cleared an amendment to the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act that allowed the family members of parliamentarians to avail air tickets un-utilized by parliamentarians
Key Words: Salaries & Allowances of MPs, Perks of MPs, Parliament
Key Words: Salaries & Allowances of MPs, Perks of MPs, Parliament
The hollowness of Pakistan’s budget exercise | Arab News
June is budget time in Pakistan. The financial year closes on June 30 and a fresh authorization is needed from the national and provincial assemblies to collect and spend money for the new year
Key Words: Federal Budget 2020-21, Weaknesses in Parliamentary Budget Process
Key Words: Federal Budget 2020-21, Weaknesses in Parliamentary Budget Process
Parliamentary scrutiny? | Dawn
VERY few people realise that the budget for the next financial year (2020-21) will, for the first time since the adoption of the 1973 Constitution
Key Words:Parliamentary budget process, Federal Budget 2020-21, Public Finance Management Act 2019
Key Words:Parliamentary budget process, Federal Budget 2020-21, Public Finance Management Act 2019
Questions of judicial overreach and governance in Pakistan | Arab News
Judiciary-executive relations have been traditionally uneasy in Pakistan
Key Words: SC overreach, Governance, COVID-19
Key Words: SC overreach, Governance, COVID-19
Virtual or real? | Dawn
THE British House of Commons reconvened on April 21, 2020, after the Easter recess and straightaway adopted a motion to hold its sittings under a ‘hybrid model’
Key Words:Parliament, Virtual Sessions, COVID-19
Key Words:Parliament, Virtual Sessions, COVID-19
Democracy and disaster management | Arab News
When US President Donald Trump recently called Prime Minister Imran Khan and offered to send some ventilators to Pakistan to help it cope with the coronavirus pandemic
Key Words: Democracy, COVID-19, Pakistan
Key Words: Democracy, COVID-19, Pakistan
Parliament in times of COVID-19 | Arab News
Should parliament continue working despite the coronavirus pandemic? At least some civil society organizations in Pakistan
Key Words: COVID-19, Parliament, Committee
Key Words: COVID-19, Parliament, Committee
Is it time for a new province in Pakistan? | Arab News
The idea of a new South Punjab province is once again making news. The ruling party, PTI, announced on March 11 its intention to table a constitutional amendment bill in the parliament in April aimed at the creation of such a province
Key Words: South Punjab, LG, New Province
Key Words: South Punjab, LG, New Province
State of the opposition in Pakistan | Arab News
It is one of those times in our political history when the opposition is at least numerically very strong in the parliament and provincial assemblies
Key Words: Opposition, Performance, Democracy
Key Words: Opposition, Performance, Democracy
The new ECP’s challenges | Dawn
THE five-member Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is finally complete after a painful and protracted process of consultation between the government and the opposition to fill three vacancies including that of the chief election commissioner
key words: ECP, Appointments in EC, Voter Turnout
key words: ECP, Appointments in EC, Voter Turnout
Fatal fault lines | Arab News
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has not even completed the first eighteen months of its term
Key Words: PTI Allies, In-house Change, Parliament
Key Words: PTI Allies, In-house Change, Parliament
Without due process | Dawn
WEAKNESSES generally associated with the legislative process in our country were once again exposed during the passage of amendments to the army, air force and navy acts in parliament recently
Key Words: Extension of Army Chief, SC, Parliament
Key Words: Extension of Army Chief, SC, Parliament
Are Pakistan’s government and opposition ready to reconcile? | Arab News
Even if one believes that the two main opposition political parties were coerced into supporting recent amendments in military acts which unambiguously authorize the Prime Minister to grant an extension to service chiefs
Key Words: Opposition, PTI, Reconcilitation, NAB Ordinance, NAO
Key Words: Opposition, PTI, Reconcilitation, NAB Ordinance, NAO
Anti-government agitation | Dawn
MAULANA Fazlur Rehman’s recent Azadi March on Islamabad was not a new phenomenon, as anti-government agitations have been a part of Pakistan’s political journey since its inception
Key Words: Azadi March, JUI-F, Opposition
Key Words: Azadi March, JUI-F, Opposition
Was Fazlur Rehman’s ‘Azadi March’ a complete failure? | Arab News
Fazlur Rehman’s ‘Azadi March’ which landed in Islamabad on Oct. 31, was the most recent of many other so-called ‘long marches’ on the federal capital in the last decade
Key Words: Azadi March, Opposition, JUI-F
Key Words: Azadi March, Opposition, JUI-F
Ordinances over the years | Dawn
PAKISTAN is one of the few democratic countries which have the dubious distinction of having the power to legislate by executive decree
Key Words: Ordinances, Legislation, History, Parliament
Key Words: Ordinances, Legislation, History, Parliament
Foreign funding in politics: Laws vs. implementation | Arab News
The three largest political parties in Pakistan - PTI, PMLN and PPP- which command 86 percent of total membership in the National Assembly
Key Words: Foreign Funding of Political Parties, PTI Foreign Funding case, ECP
Key Words: Foreign Funding of Political Parties, PTI Foreign Funding case, ECP
What do marches on Islamabad mean? | Arab News
Fazl ur Rehman’s protest march is not the first of its kind but it sure is the latest in a series of marches and agitations seeking to dislodge the government in Pakistan
Key Words: Azadi March, JUI-F, Opposition
Key Words: Azadi March, JUI-F, Opposition
Credibility of accountability | Dawn
AMID the current political turmoil, accountability and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) figure most prominently
Key Words: Accountability, NAB, Pakistan
Key Words: Accountability, NAB, Pakistan
Ordinances vs democracy | Dawn
IF there is a least democratic feature of our democratic Constitution, it is the power given to the executive to legislate in case parliament is not in session
Key Words: Ordinances, Legislation, Parliament
Key Words: Ordinances, Legislation, Parliament
Punjab CM doesn’t have much longer to prove himself ? | Arab News
The performance of the provincial government in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, under Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has been a source of concern for many in the ruling PTI party
Key Words: CM Punjab, Governance, Punjab
Key Words: CM Punjab, Governance, Punjab
Prepared for governance? | Dawn
PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan has been widely praised for delivering a powerful and impressive speech at the UN General Assembly on Sept 27
Key Words: Governance, PTI, Performance
Key Words: Governance, PTI, Performance
Chief Justice Khosa’s critique of the government is telling | Arab News
It is ironic that barely six days after Pakistan’s top judge said in a speech that he found concerns being raised about the “muzzling of the print and electronic media
Key Words: SC, Asif Saeed Khosa, Critique, PTI
Key Words: SC, Asif Saeed Khosa, Critique, PTI
One year on, PTI’s legislative agenda must gather speed | Arab News
When Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan launched his party’s 100-day agenda roughly two months before the general election last year
Key Words: Governance Performance, PTI, Manifesto
Key Words: Governance Performance, PTI, Manifesto
Missing ECP members | Dawn
LAST Sunday, Aug 25, marked the completion of eight months during which two of the four positions of the members of the Election Commission of Pakistan remained unfilled despite the constitutional provision
Key Words: EC Appointments, ECP, PTI, Opposition
Key Words: EC Appointments, ECP, PTI, Opposition
The case of dual nationals | Dawn
IS Pakistan ready to allow persons holding dual nationality to become members of its parliament?
Key Words: Dual Nationality and Elections, Parliament, Overseas Pakistanis, Constitution
Key Words: Dual Nationality and Elections, Parliament, Overseas Pakistanis, Constitution
Should dual citizenship holders contest elections in Pakistan? | Arab News
Perhaps it was the impressively large gathering of Pakistani-Americans at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to the US
Key Words: Dual Nationality and Elections, Parliament, Overseas Pakistanis, Constitution
Key Words: Dual Nationality and Elections, Parliament, Overseas Pakistanis, Constitution
The Assembly’s first year / Dawn
‘NAYA’ (or ‘new’) Pakistan’ has been one of the most popular slogans of the PTI as has ‘tabdeeli’ (or ‘change’)
Key Words: 1st Year Performance of 15th NA, National Assembly, Parliamentary Monitoring
Key Words: 1st Year Performance of 15th NA, National Assembly, Parliamentary Monitoring
After the no-trust vote | Daw
WHILE the aftershocks of the Senate’s no-trust vote of Aug 1 are still being felt, it seems that some good may also have come of the exercise as a number of important and pertinent questions are being asked and reforms being suggested
Key Words: No Trust Vote, Chairman Senate, No confidence
Key Words: No Trust Vote, Chairman Senate, No confidence
Policy reversals during PTI’s first year | Arab News
August 17 will mark the completion of the first year of the PTI federal government in Pakistan, with the performance of the government being discussed at various levels
Key Words: Governance Performance, PTI, 1st Year of PTI
Key Words: Governance Performance, PTI, 1st Year of PTI
Leaked videos implicating judges are nothing new, or simple, in Pakistan | Arab News
The release of an explosive video which shows possible evidence of a wrongful conviction of jailed ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by an accountability judge
Key Words: Arshad Malik Leaked Video, Judges, Accountability
Key Words: Arshad Malik Leaked Video, Judges, Accountability
Defection season? | Dawn
IS the season of defections here again? Media reports regarding 15 PML-N members of the Punjab Assembly calling on Prime Minister Imran Khan a week ago gave rise to speculations of possible defections or formation of a ‘forward bloc’
Key Words: Defections, PML-N, Forward Block, PTI
Key Words: Defections, PML-N, Forward Block, PTI
Reasons for tax evasion in Pakistan | Arab News
In the face of a widening gap between revenue and expenditure, Pakistan is rightly concerned about increasing its money flow
Key Words: Tax Evasion, Tax Collection, FBR
Key Words: Tax Evasion, Tax Collection, FBR
Flawed budget process | Dawn
THIS is the annual budget season. Federal and provincial budgets have either been presented or will soon be presented
Key Words: Parliamentary Budget Process, Parliament, Budget
Key Words: Parliamentary Budget Process, Parliament, Budget
New Local Governments Could Usher In PTI’s Promised Revolution | Arab News
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) led provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces, which together constitute 70% of the entire country’s population, passed local government bills in April
Key Words: LG Laws, Punjab, KP, Local Governments, PTI
Key Words: LG Laws, Punjab, KP, Local Governments, PTI
Unintended consequences of more parliamentary seats for tribal areas | Arab News
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), located along the northwestern region of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan
Key Words: FATA, 25th Coinstitutional Amendment
Key Words: FATA, 25th Coinstitutional Amendment
The politics and optics of Pakistan’s cabinet reshuffle / Arab News
Just eight months into his five year term, Prime Minister Imran Khan considered it fit to undertake the first major reshuffle in his cabinet
Key Words: Reshuffle in PTI Federal Cabinet, PTI
Key Words: Reshuffle in PTI Federal Cabinet, PTI
Two faces of democracy | Dawn
IT seems that a section of population in Pakistan is perpetually infatuated by the presidential form of government
Key Words: Presidential Vs Parliamentary System, Democracy in Pakistan
Key Words: Presidential Vs Parliamentary System, Democracy in Pakistan
Indian election manifestos: What Pakistanis should know | Arab News
Starting this week, India will hold its general elections in seven phases until May 19th
Key Words: Indian Election, Party Manifestoes, Politics
Key Words: Indian Election, Party Manifestoes, Politics
Lawmakers’ pay | Dawn
A STORM of protest led by no less a person than the prime minister had engulfed the country after Punjab’s provincial assembly passed a bill on March 13 for increasing the salaries
Key Words: Salaries & emoluments of MPs, Perks of MPs, Parliament
Key Words: Salaries & emoluments of MPs, Perks of MPs, Parliament
Pakistan in the grey | Arab News
Pakistan’s National Action Plan, the government’s detailed plan established in 2015 to counter terrorist activities is in the news with renewed force after Pakistan was grey-listed by the Paris based Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
Key Words: FATF, Grey List
Key Words: FATF, Grey List
Why not consult each other? | Dawn
TWO of the four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan retired on Jan 26, 2019, after completing their stipulated term of two and a half years
Key Words: Appointments in Election Commission, ECP Opposition
Key Words: Appointments in Election Commission, ECP Opposition
Production orders politics | Dawn
OF late, the term ‘production order’ has gained much greater currency in our political discourse than before
Key Words: Production Orders for MPs, Production order, Parliament
Key Words: Production Orders for MPs, Production order, Parliament
Return of the Politics of Enmity | Arab News
When Pakistan’s two major political parties – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)- signed the Charter of Democracy in 2006
Key Words: Political Polarisation, Civil-Military Relations, Pakistan politics
Key Words: Political Polarisation, Civil-Military Relations, Pakistan politics
The first six months | Dawn
THE PTI-led federal government is set to complete its first six months today but the National Assembly which elected this government already passed the six-month milestone on Feb 12
Key Words: Performance of PTI Government, First 6 months, Governance
Key Words: Performance of PTI Government, First 6 months, Governance
Inter-institutional dialogue, but how? | Dawn
THE realisation has been growing over the past few years that Pakistan needs some kind of dialogue among state institutions at the highest level
Key Words: Inter-Institutional Dialogue, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa
Key Words: Inter-Institutional Dialogue, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa
Justice Khosa’s proposal could open up a Pandora’s box for Pakistan | Arab News
Just a day before assuming office as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa surprised many by proposing an inter-institutional dialogue and asked the President of Pakistan to convene it
Key Words: Inter-Institutional Dialogue, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa
Key Words: Inter-Institutional Dialogue, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa
Taking parliament seriously | Dawn
A FEW days ago, some of the leading television channels were almost simultaneously flashing the ‘breaking news’ that Prime Minister Imran Khan would be attending the National Assembly session
Key Words: Attendance of PM in Parliament, Parliament, PTI
Key Words: Attendance of PM in Parliament, Parliament, PTI
Beyond the PAC stalemate | Dawn
FINALLY, it seems that the 15th National Assembly is ready to move forward
Key Words: PAC, Parliament, Opposition
Key Words: PAC, Parliament, Opposition
Impartial accountability? | Dawn
LIKE free and fair elections, a fair system of accountability has also remained elusive in Pakistan
Key Words: Performance of NAB, Accountability, NAO
Key Words: Performance of NAB, Accountability, NAO
Decisions taken today could shape the politics of the future for Pakistan | Arab News
With 2018 coming to a close, there is increasing concern about the political scenarios that will unfold next year
Key Words: Assessment of Democracy 2018, PTI, Democracy
Key Words: Assessment of Democracy 2018, PTI, Democracy
100 days on, several hurdles lie on the road ahead for the PTI | Arab News
Today, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government completes its first 100 days in office
key words: 100 days of PTI Government, PTI, Governance
key words: 100 days of PTI Government, PTI, Governance
Parliament’s first 100 days | Dawn
ALTHOUGH parliament did not figure prominently in Imran Khan’s ‘first 100 days’ agenda —now, appropriately, the Prime Minister’s 100 Days Agenda
Key Words: Performance of 15th NA, First 100 days, Parliament
Key Words: Performance of 15th NA, First 100 days, Parliament
The by-election results | Dawn
IT is rare that by-election results generate as much interest and prompt as much commentary as was the case with the polls in the national and four provincial assemblies’ constituencies held on Oct 14 and 21
Key Words: 2018 By-election, Fairness of polls, ECP
Key Words: 2018 By-election, Fairness of polls, ECP
How big should the cabinet be? | Dawn
RECENTLY, Prime Minister Imran Khan expanded his cabinet. It has led to a fresh round of questions asked each time a cabinet is formed or expanded
Key Words: Size of Cabinet, Constitution
Key Words: Size of Cabinet, Constitution
The challenges of election day | Dawn
ONE must confess that, despite all the hard work of the Election Commission, a dark cloud of suspicion did hang over polling day on July 25
key words: Fairness of GE2018; Election-Day Management, ECP
key words: Fairness of GE2018; Election-Day Management, ECP
A test for election observers | Dawn
IN a tight election race like the one we are witnessing in Pakistan ahead of July 25 and amidst allegations of ‘pre-poll rigging’ and ‘absence of a level playing field
Key Words: Election Observation, GE2018, International Observers
Key Words: Election Observation, GE2018, International Observers
Polls under international scrutiny | Dawn
INTERNATIONAL election observers are now widely accepted across the globe especially in democracies which have yet to establish the credibility of their institutions including of their election-management bodies
Key Words: Election Observation, Fairness of GE 2018, International Observers
Key Words: Election Observation, Fairness of GE 2018, International Observers
Evolution of caretakers | Dawn
THE original 1973 Constitution had no stipulations for a caretaker government, which is why no provision existed at that time for the dissolution of the National Assembly by the president in his discretion
Key Words: Caretaker Government, Constitution, ECP
Key Words: Caretaker Government, Constitution, ECP
Do we really need caretakers? | Dawn
PAKISTAN is in search of caretaker cabinets both at the centre and in the four provinces
Key Words: Caretaker Governments, Constitution
Key Words: Caretaker Governments, Constitution
Institutional Capacity and Governance in Pakistan: A Case Study of Parliament | Wilson Center
Pakistan’s constitution provides for a federal parliamentary system of government, with a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government
key words: Performance of Parliament, Wilson Center
key words: Performance of Parliament, Wilson Center
Prospects of a fair election | Dawn
UNTIL recently, observers of the electoral process here agreed that Pakistan was heading towards one of the most well-organised, free and fair general elections in its history
Key Words: Fairness of GE 2018, Election Observation, ECP
Key Words: Fairness of GE 2018, Election Observation, ECP
Eight years on | Dawn
IT was eight years ago on April 19, 2010, that then president Asif Zardari signed the Constitution (Eighteenth) Amendment Bill, 2010, into law after its unanimous passage in the two houses of parliament
Key Words: 18th Amendment, PCCR, Parliament
Key Words: 18th Amendment, PCCR, Parliament
Financing poll campaigns | Dawn
THE approaching general election is expected to be different from the previous 10 elections in many ways
Key Words: Elections, Political Finance, Electoral Campaigns
Key Words: Elections, Political Finance, Electoral Campaigns
Money and politics | Dawn
ALTHOUGH the Senate election is finally concluded despite all the apprehensions expressed over the past one year regarding a possible postponement on one ground or the other
Key Words: Role of Money, Senate Elections, Constitution
Key Words: Role of Money, Senate Elections, Constitution
Poll transparency reversed | Dawn
THE Elections Act, 2017, passed by parliament and signed into law by the president of Pakistan in October 2017, has been rightly hailed as a major milestone in electoral reforms in Pakistan
key words: Elections Act, 2017, Electoral Reforms, ECP
key words: Elections Act, 2017, Electoral Reforms, ECP
The march of democracy | Dawn
WITH the announcement of a polling date for 52 seats of the 104-member Senate by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the uncertainty about the Senate election, and the electoral process in Pakistan in general
key words: Senate Elections 2018, Quality of Democracy, Democracy in Pakistan
key words: Senate Elections 2018, Quality of Democracy, Democracy in Pakistan
A gulf that must be bridged | Dawn
CIVIL-MILITARY tensions are not a new development in Pakistan. We have lived with this phenomenon for decades and have seen four spells of military rule
key words: Civil Military Relations, NSC
key words: Civil Military Relations, NSC
Critical times for parliament | Dawn
THE recent appearance of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, before a Supreme Court bench in Karachi to explain the poor state of drinking water supply and sewerage systems in his province once again illustrates a major imbalance that has occurred among the three branches of the state
key words: Parliamentary Committees, Parliament, Water and Sanitation
key words: Parliamentary Committees, Parliament, Water and Sanitation
Legislators’ vanishing act | Dawn
POOR attendance by a sizeable number of members of the national parliament and the provincial assemblies in Pakistan is almost a norm and so is the frequent interruption in parliamentary proceedings due to lack of quorum
key words: MPs Attendance, Parliament, National Assembly
key words: MPs Attendance, Parliament, National Assembly
Elusive consensus | Dawn
THE quest again seems to be on for a consensus on a new accountability law. Initially, the major political parties had appeared to agree on repealing the existing National Accountability Ordinance, 1999
key words: NAO, NAB, Accountability
key words: NAO, NAB, Accountability
Poll law confusion | Dawn
RECENT events in the two houses of parliament in the capital have once again exposed the weaknesses of the legislative process and the lack of interest shown by most parliamentarians in an important function which bestows on them the title of ‘legislators’
key words: Electoral Reforms, Parliament, ECP
key words: Electoral Reforms, Parliament, ECP
Parliament & accountability | Dawn
AFTER the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister, a welcome debate has focused on the role of the various institutions in installing a robust system of accountability and making that system work
key words: Parliament, Accountability Laws, NAB
key words: Parliament, Accountability Laws, NAB
Episode or system? | Dawn
EVERY few years, we in Pakistan hold a powerful individual or a group of individuals to account through extraordinary arrangements
key words: Accountability, Accountability in Pakistan
key words: Accountability, Accountability in Pakistan
Law to regulate budget | Dawn
DESPITE all the protests, walkouts and boycotts by the opposition, the National Assembly has passed the federal budget for the next financial year
key words: Parliamentary Budget Process, NA, Federal Budget
key words: Parliamentary Budget Process, NA, Federal Budget
Voting from abroad | Dawn
VOTING is an emotive and long-standing issue for some eight million overseas Pakistanis scattered around 140 countries
key words: Oversease voting, ECP, I-Voting, Electoral Reforms
key words: Oversease voting, ECP, I-Voting, Electoral Reforms
The case of EVMs | Dawn
ELECTRONIC voting machines (EVMs) seem to have gained greater currency, and popularity as well, in our electoral discourse over the past few years
key words: EVM, Electoral Reforms, ECP
key words: EVM, Electoral Reforms, ECP
Owning the fight | Dawn
IT was only through an ISPR press release that the nation came to know that the Pakistan Army had launched Operation Raddul Fasaad across the country
key words: Civil Military Relations, ISPR, Operation Raddul Fasasd
key words: Civil Military Relations, ISPR, Operation Raddul Fasasd
Who pays for the brawls? | Dawn
ON Jan 26, the National Assembly witnessed an ugly brawl involving quite a few honourable members of the house from the PML-N and the PTI, along with at least one independent member
key words: National Assembly, Ruckus, MPs
key words: National Assembly, Ruckus, MPs
Where are the women voters? | Dawn
AS we get closer to 2018 when the current national and provincial assemblies complete their five-year term, several election-related issues are attracting the attention of decision-makers and other stakeholders
key words: Women Voters, ECP, Electoral Rolls
key words: Women Voters, ECP, Electoral Rolls
Give LGs a chance | Dawn
LOCAL governments are important for the entire country but carry special significance for the largest province in the federation — Punjab
key words: Local Government, Punjab, LG
key words: Local Government, Punjab, LG
How many ministers? | Dawn
WHAT the size of a cabinet of ministers should be is a question of both public and media interest, and a subject of frequent discussions in many countries
key words: Size of Federal Cabinet, Constitution
key words: Size of Federal Cabinet, Constitution
Women’s legislative performance | Dawn
EVER since almost 17 per cent of seats in Pakistan’s directly elected legislatures were reserved for women, a pattern has emerged of women legislators performing better than their male counterparts in the national parliament and the provincial legislatures over the last 13 years
key words: Women MPs, Performance, 14th National Assembly
key words: Women MPs, Performance, 14th National Assembly
One after another | Dawn
THE recent multiparty conference (MPC) convened by the prime minister on Oct 3 settled, among other things, that the National Security Committee of Parliament be reconstituted to coordinate efforts
key words: NSC, Civil Military Relations
key words: NSC, Civil Military Relations
Running the political engine | Dawn
THERE are ample signs that money in politics, or ‘political finance’, will assume much greater importance in the next general election and even during the run-up to the election
key words: Political Financing, Political Parties, Assets and Liabilities, ECP
key words: Political Financing, Political Parties, Assets and Liabilities, ECP
Remember electoral reforms? | Dawn
THE Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms which was constituted on July 25, 2014 to submit its report by Oct 24, 2014, seems to have set some kind of a record by overshooting its target date by a full 23 months
key words: Electoral Reforms, ECP, Parliament
key words: Electoral Reforms, ECP, Parliament
Parliament’s inertia on NAP | Dawn
SELDOM has Pakistan seen such open and repeated finger-pointing between the civil and military leadership as on the question of the implementation of the National Action Plan against terrorism
key words; National Action Plan, NAP, Parliament
key words; National Action Plan, NAP, Parliament
Transparent leaders | Dawn
LEGISLATORS’ statements of assets and liabilities are once again in the news, after the leaked Panama Papers raised serious questions about the financial transparency of political leadership in Pakistan
key words: Assets and Liabilities, Legislators, ECP
key words: Assets and Liabilities, Legislators, ECP
Is a commission enough? | Dawn
The Panama leaks have led to the welcome development of corruption at high places being widely discussed, debated and condemned in the media, public and parliament
key words: Panama Papers, Accountability
key words: Panama Papers, Accountability
The right to information | Dawn
AFTER the new governments of KP and Punjab passed their respective, internationally acclaimed Right to Information (RTI) laws and established their independent information commissions in 2013
key words: RTI
key words: RTI
Absent from the house | Dawn
PARLIAMENT in Pakistan posted some noticeable improvements during 2015 including greater transparency in members’ attendance records
key words: Attendance in Parliament, Performance of National Assembly
key words: Attendance in Parliament, Performance of National Assembly
The calculus of ordinances | Dawn
THE promulgation of the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Ordinance on Dec 7, merely 48 hours before the National Assembly was to begin its session, has once again stoked debate on how democratic is the practice of legislating through presidential decree
key words: Ordinances, India, Pakistan
key words: Ordinances, India, Pakistan
Whither NSC? | Dawn
A RECENT ISPR press release alluding to poor governance by federal and provincial governments, and the rejoinder by the Prime Minister’s Office, once again underscored the urgent need for formal institutions of the state where diverse, and sometimes competing, views on national security can be discussed among various stakeholders
key words: National Security Committee, Civil Military Relations, Inter Institutional Relations, NSC
key words: National Security Committee, Civil Military Relations, Inter Institutional Relations, NSC
Faults of the electoral system | Dawn
THE decisions of the two election tribunals hearing poll petitions on the NA-122, Lahore-V and NA-154, Lodhran-I constituencies were announced in quick succession last month
key words: By-election 2015, ECP, Electoral Process
key words: By-election 2015, ECP, Electoral Process
Election gone wrong | Dawn
BARELY six months after the Peshawar Army Public School tragedy that left almost 150 schoolchildren and others dead in a terrorist attack, some six million voters turned out to vote in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government election braving not only the terrorists’ threat but also the hot weather
key words: KP Local Government Elections 2015, ECP
key words: KP Local Government Elections 2015, ECP
Budget and the parliament | Dawn
THE National Assembly of Pakistan is about to go through its annual ritual of receiving and passing the federal budget — without, in all probability, any meaningful scrutiny, or budget-focused debate
key words: Parliamentary Budget Process, Federal Budget 2015-2016
key words: Parliamentary Budget Process, Federal Budget 2015-2016
Arbitrary changes | Dawn
THE Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) quietly changed its rules for by-elections in three national and provincial assembly constituencies on May 7, 2015
key words: By-election 2015, ECP, Electoral Process
key words: By-election 2015, ECP, Electoral Process
Senate questions | Dawn
THE three-year democratic ritual of electing half the Senate is over but it has left a trail of questions that need to be discussed, debated and resolved in a democratic spirit
key words: Senate Elections 2015, FATA Senators, Electoral Reforms
key words: Senate Elections 2015, FATA Senators, Electoral Reforms
Whither electoral reforms? | Dawn
ELECTORAL reforms once again seem to be disappearing from the federal government’s radar
key words: Electoral Reforms, 2013 Parliament
key words: Electoral Reforms, 2013 Parliament
The way forward | Dawn
A FEW weeks ago, I had tried to summarise a case for some key electoral reforms proposals (‘A case for urgent poll reforms’) in this paper
key words: Electoral Reforms, 2013 Parliament
key words: Electoral Reforms, 2013 Parliament
A case for urgent poll reforms | Dawn
Electoral reforms are at the centre of the on-going political crisis. Although the campaign against alleged electoral irregularities during the 2013 elections has snowballed into a full-blown movement against the current government
key words: Electoral Reforms, 2013 Parliament
key words: Electoral Reforms, 2013 Parliament
Strains already | Dawn
The ISPR press release of April 7 demonstrated the communication gap between the political and military leadership
key words: Civil Military Relations, Nawaz Sharif
key words: Civil Military Relations, Nawaz Sharif
Delimitation in Karachi | Dawn
THE question of fresh delimitation of constituencies in Karachi ahead of the general election requires careful reconsideration by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
key words: ECP, Delimitation in Karachi
key words: ECP, Delimitation in Karachi
Civil society engagement in democratic transition in Pakistan | United Nations University Press
Democracy in Pakistan has not been a linear process. The socio-political history of the nation has been punctuated by military rule and the ebb and flow of civil society agitation, largely in response to such martial leadership
key words: Democratic Transition, Pakistan, Civil Society
key words: Democratic Transition, Pakistan, Civil Society
Through a Pakistani lens | India-Seminar.com
NEARLY four decades after the secession of East Pakistan – now Bangladesh – most Pakistanis continue to see Bangladesh and its experiments with democracy through a three-faceted prism
key words: Banglades, Economy, Role of Military
key words: Banglades, Economy, Role of Military
