Provinces versus governance
In recent weeks, the debate over new provinces and administrative restructuring has moved from hushed speculation to being described as the state’s foremost priority. The shift was triggered…
The Public Purview
Editorial
Water rights upheld
The unanimous ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has delivered a clear and decisive message: India’s unilateral withdrawal from the…
Conflict drags on
It has now been half a year since the United States and Israel embarked on their military campaign against Iran, a costly misadventure that…
Railway project stalled
The government’s recent effort to explore alternative financing for the Karachi–Peshawar Main Line‑1 railway project, after Chinese funding failed to materialise, is a welcome…
Healthcare system failure
The devastating fire at Islamabad’s Pims Hospital, which claimed the lives of 14 newborns in the Mother and Child Health Ward, has shaken the…
Diplomacy over coercion
Two distinct strategies are unfolding simultaneously in the effort to resolve the US‑Iran confrontation. On one hand, Pakistan and other regional states are pursuing…
Agriculture reform needed
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s renewed emphasis on strengthening agricultural research, ensuring the availability of quality seeds for small and medium‑scale farmers, and modernising crop…
Tax fairness overdue
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has rightly questioned why salaried taxpayers must contend with a tax return form so complex that even highly educated professionals…
Google enters Pakistan
Google’s decision to establish a physical office in Islamabad marks a notable milestone in Pakistan’s digital landscape. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated…
Relief for prisoners
The Supreme Court’s intervention on Tuesday, nearly three months after former prime minister Imran Khan sought enforcement of his rights as a prisoner, marks…
Wheat market transition
The refusal by Punjab and Sindh to accept imported wheat is less about grain quality and more about the incomplete transition from a state‑dominated…
From stability to growth
The State Bank governor’s optimistic outlook on Pakistan’s economy must be weighed against the realities hidden beneath headline figures. While the transition from stabilisation…
Healing Balochistan conflict
Balochistan has endured turbulence for more than two decades, but the present situation is particularly alarming, with terrorist violence and lawlessness becoming almost routine.…
Rising food inflation
The State Bank of Pakistan’s recent warning that domestic food prices may rise more than anticipated in the near term deserves immediate and serious…
Regional defence vision
Pakistan has in recent days moved swiftly to reassure Iran that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed last week with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye,…
Promise of equality
August 11 holds a profound place in Pakistan’s history. On this day in 1947, Quaid‑i‑Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah addressed the Constituent Assembly and laid…
Grassroots democracy deficit
The Punjab cabinet’s recent decision to allocate funds for local government elections appears, at first glance, to be a positive step toward restoring a…