Author Archives: Faisal Bari
12th May, 2013
The morning after
THE votes have been cast and are now being counted. Whoever wins, we hope they are good for democracy, peace, the rule of law, growth and development: we hope they are good for Pakistan and Pakistanis.
THE votes have been cast and are now being counted. Whoever wins, we hope they are good for democracy, peace, the rule of law, growth and development: we hope they are good for Pakistan and Pakistanis.
10th May, 2013
Only promises, no action
THERE are a number of campaigns running in the country that are talking of making education an ‘election demand’ and an election issue. They are asking people to ‘vote for education’.
THERE are a number of campaigns running in the country that are talking of making education an ‘election demand’ and an election issue. They are asking people to ‘vote for education’.
7th May, 2013
Missing women voters?
The big puzzle is why political do not parties mobilise women voters in spite of the incredibly high electoral returns this promises.
The big puzzle is why political do not parties mobilise women voters in spite of the incredibly high electoral returns this promises.
26th April, 2013
Why not land reforms?
SOME political parties are promising to create a new or naya Pakistan, others are promising to go back to the Pakistan that had originally been dreamt of. But all are promising fundamental changes: defending the status quo is not an option in this election.
SOME political parties are promising to create a new or naya Pakistan, others are promising to go back to the Pakistan that had originally been dreamt of. But all are promising fundamental changes: defending the status quo is not an option in this election.
12th April, 2013
A long summer ahead
“HAD a really unproductive time at work yesterday thanks to electricity for only 1.5 hours…. The night was terrible too with electricity every alternate hour and a big chunk of no light from 3am to 6am.
“HAD a really unproductive time at work yesterday thanks to electricity for only 1.5 hours…. The night was terrible too with electricity every alternate hour and a big chunk of no light from 3am to 6am.
29th March, 2013
Education & manifestos
IT is heartening to note that the election manifestos of three of the main political parties — the PPP, the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf — not only mention education as an important area requiring urgent attention, they also give some details of the plans they have for the sector in case they are in a position to form government and/or influence policy on education.
IT is heartening to note that the election manifestos of three of the main political parties — the PPP, the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf — not only mention education as an important area requiring urgent attention, they also give some details of the plans they have for the sector in case they are in a position to form government and/or influence policy on education.
15th March, 2013
How to help the poor
HELPING people move out of poverty, on a sustainable basis, and helping to lower their vulnerability threshold is not a straightforward or easy policy issue.
HELPING people move out of poverty, on a sustainable basis, and helping to lower their vulnerability threshold is not a straightforward or easy policy issue.
1st March, 2013
Literacy and skills
A VERY large number of Pakistanis are illiterate and unskilled. If literate they are barely so, and if skilled, most have poor skills.
A VERY large number of Pakistanis are illiterate and unskilled. If literate they are barely so, and if skilled, most have poor skills.
15th February, 2013
Missing the target
THERE are too many large untargeted subsidies in Pakistan that are wasting a lot of resources due to their untargeted nature. The wheat subsidy goes to all the people who eat wheat and not just to the poor.
THERE are too many large untargeted subsidies in Pakistan that are wasting a lot of resources due to their untargeted nature. The wheat subsidy goes to all the people who eat wheat and not just to the poor.
1st February, 2013
Education and mobility
WHEN I was in college, our undergraduate classes were allocated on the basis of student roll numbers. We were thus forced to interact with students who did not belong to sub-groups, like pupils from one’s own school.
WHEN I was in college, our undergraduate classes were allocated on the basis of student roll numbers. We were thus forced to interact with students who did not belong to sub-groups, like pupils from one’s own school.
18th January, 2013
A controversial scheme
THE government might not be able to push it through parliament, but for now our rulers are lending support to a controversial tax amnesty bill. For a government about to complete its tenure and go in for an election, is
THE government might not be able to push it through parliament, but for now our rulers are lending support to a controversial tax amnesty bill. For a government about to complete its tenure and go in for an election, is
4th January, 2013
Corporate power
ECONOMIC inequalities within countries have increased significantly in most states that have seen decent growth over the last few decades.
ECONOMIC inequalities within countries have increased significantly in most states that have seen decent growth over the last few decades.
21st December, 2012
Rethinking growth
ECONOMIC growth is needed for incomes to grow. It is impossible to argue that the share/size of the pie that each person gets can increase for everyone without the overall pie increasing.
ECONOMIC growth is needed for incomes to grow. It is impossible to argue that the share/size of the pie that each person gets can increase for everyone without the overall pie increasing.
7th December, 2012
Poor preparedness
OVER the last decade and a bit, Pakistan, according to oft-quoted figures, has lost 40,000 people to the ‘war on terror’ directly and indirectly.
OVER the last decade and a bit, Pakistan, according to oft-quoted figures, has lost 40,000 people to the ‘war on terror’ directly and indirectly.
23rd November, 2012
Regulatory systems
WHEN a rare form of fungal meningitis was discovered in a few patients in the US recently, it set off alarm bells. Pretty soon, the suspicions of the authorities had been narrowed down to one pharmacy, a mixer of drugs, and it was thought that the contamination had taken place on that manufacturer’s premises.
WHEN a rare form of fungal meningitis was discovered in a few patients in the US recently, it set off alarm bells. Pretty soon, the suspicions of the authorities had been narrowed down to one pharmacy, a mixer of drugs, and it was thought that the contamination had taken place on that manufacturer’s premises.
9th November, 2012
Divided on social policy
ARGUABLY the poorest people in Pakistan tend to be found more in the camp of the PPP than of the PML-N or PTI. The latter, going by popular perception, seems to draw most of its support from the youth, and from the
ARGUABLY the poorest people in Pakistan tend to be found more in the camp of the PPP than of the PML-N or PTI. The latter, going by popular perception, seems to draw most of its support from the youth, and from the
26th October, 2012
Effective regulation
A FACTORY owner I interviewed a few years back on the cost of doing business in Pakistan, had complained that he was paying a number of officers from various departments to keep them off his back.
A FACTORY owner I interviewed a few years back on the cost of doing business in Pakistan, had complained that he was paying a number of officers from various departments to keep them off his back.
12th October, 2012
Cartels in telecom sector
ACCORDING to news reports all 14 Long Distance International (LDI) operators working in Pakistan have agreed to create a clearing house for international call termination.
ACCORDING to news reports all 14 Long Distance International (LDI) operators working in Pakistan have agreed to create a clearing house for international call termination.
14th September, 2012
Who is responsible?
IN one of the worst industrial tragedies in the country, a fire that erupted on Tuesday in a Karachi garment factory left upwards of 250 people dead, most of them burnt or suffocated as they sought an exit from the
IN one of the worst industrial tragedies in the country, a fire that erupted on Tuesday in a Karachi garment factory left upwards of 250 people dead, most of them burnt or suffocated as they sought an exit from the
31st August, 2012
Tie-ins and exploitation
A JULY 24, 2008 decision by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) looked at the question of whether the “mandatory sale of laptop computers to incoming students by Bahria University constitutes
A JULY 24, 2008 decision by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) looked at the question of whether the “mandatory sale of laptop computers to incoming students by Bahria University constitutes
