Democracy’s building blocks
True democracy rests on the principles of sharing power, working together in the public interest, dispersing powers widely among different institutions, and respecting the...
Reforming political parties
As our present phase of democratic struggle moves forward, we must debate the flaws in the internal structures of our political parties and whether...
Democracy and American interests
The Americans and their local allies in our societies look more at the outcome of democracy than at its process. They are not comfortable...
Problems of democratic transition
The big vacuum of credibility, trust, genuineness, true representation, and clean image, helps the military run the country with the political horses it can...
Beyond the judicial crisis
Pakistan has a long and complex history of democratic struggles against military regimes, but each time we failed to transform the movement into a...
Securing judicial independence
Judges must be independent of street pressure as well as demands from other quarters to be able to make impartial decisions. In securing independence...
Unanswered questions on Bajaur
The missile strike was just a reminder that the coalition forces would use such force in hot pursuit of the Taliban and against groups...
Social movement drivers
A fresh exploration of ideas and new activism is happening after decades of cynicism, passivity and conscious de-politicisation of society. Defenders of the old...
Emerging national consensus
The military rulers and their subordinate class of civilian bureaucracy share an elitist view of politics and think that only they understand what is...
Simmering nationalism in Balochistan
Balochis and other ethnic groups have three issues with the Centre, which Islamabad can ignore only at the risk of national security. These are...
