Daily Times
May 10, 2021
As a US-returned young Pakistani who got caught up in law I had this unshakeable faith in democracy and civilian constitutional rule. It was because of this feeling that one supported the lawyers’ movement and eventual ouster of the dictator but what do we have to show for it. A hybrid system less transparent that Myanmar’s short-lived “democratic” stint? A country where one cannot breathe freely because of fanatic religious groups that target minorities and where the space for reasonable discourse has been shrinking since the assassination of Salmaan Taseer? This is a shamelessly populist majoritarian electoral democracy at best and that too in name. We know where the real shots are called. It is a strange partnership between the militablishment and civilian rulers of which nothing good can come out. The whole thing is a farce. The civilians play musical chairs while you know who plays the music.
Political stability
May 9, 2021
Economic growth depends on three things: accumulation of capital, human resources and technological advancement. Capital – including foreign direct investment (FDI) – accumulates where there’s political stability. FDI brings in both skilled human resources and technology. In essence, the key driver behind economic growth is political stability. To be certain, political instability kills growth. None of this is rocket science.
Over the past 20 years, China’s per capita income has grown from $959 to $10,216. The Chinese Communist Party has been in power since 1949. Singapore’s per capita income had grown from $428 in 1960 to $11,861 by 1990. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding and first prime minister of Singapore, remained prime minister for 31 years (1959-1990). Malaysia’s per capita income had grown from $1,769 in 1981 to $4,461 by 2003. Mahathir bin Mohamad was the prime minister for 22 years (1981-2003).
India-Pakistan: The pros and cons of backchannel diplomacy
By
The Indian and Pakistan flags fly during a ceremony at the Wagah Border. Photo: AFP
The door of peace between Pakistan and India leads through backchannel negotiations and both countries have successfully used it to bring about substantial confidence-building measures.
For any backchannel negotiation to have sustainable long-term impact, however, it has to be used sparingly and with the mission of initiating a bilateral dialogue or it can threaten the entire fabric of the peace process.
According to media reports, Pakistan and India have been conducting these backchannel talks on and off since 2017, whereby New Delhi initiated a request to start a backchannel and Pakistan responded positively.
Why The Army Runs Pakistan, And Why It Doesn’t Matter
The real problem is not democracy, but good governance, which politicians have failed to deliver
Mohammad Shehzad 07 May 2021, Last Updated at 5:24 pm AP Mohammad Shehzad 2021-05-07T17:21:46+05:30 Why The Army Runs Pakistan, And Why It Doesn’t Matter outlookindia.com 2021-05-07T17:24:08+05:30
February 8: Don’t drag the (Pakistan) army into politics. It is fully occupied with the huge responsibility of looking at security, internal and external threats, says Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Major General Babar Iftikar.
April 25: Army chief General Qamar Bajwa spends seven hours with a group of journalists and briefs them on a range of political issues. He reassures them that the Tehrik Labaik Pakistan (TLP) will become part of the mainstream and practice politics peacefully.
پاک بھارت رابطے: پاکستان کو کن معاملات پر ہوشیار و خبردار رہنا ہوگا؟ - Opinions dawnnews.tv - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dawnnews.tv Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.