Affordable and Safe Housing in Pakistan: Addressing Inflated Prices & Misleading Advertisements
Muhammad Aslam Khan highlights the unethical and misleading advertising practices employed by many housing societies in Pakistan. He notes that they focus solely on investment potential and profitability, while ignoring basic safety features and building codes.
He stresses the need for the government to enact laws to regulate the real estate market. To provide safe and affordable housing options to people, there is a dire need for solid investment in the housing sector.
Exploring Pakistan’s Energy Sector: Sources and Trends
Similar to many developing nations, Pakistan has been experiencing a serious shortage of energy for almost 20 years.
The nation’s meager domestic oil and gas reserves are running out quickly, while coal and alternative sources of energy are difficult to harness.
Maryam Jilani gives a comprehensive overview of the regulators of the energy sector, the sources of energy production, as well as the patterns of energy consumption in Pakistan.
The Law Admission Test (LAT) in Pakistan
Are you planning to pursue an undergraduate degree in law in Pakistan? The Law Admission Test (LAT) is the first step towards becoming a lawyer in Pakistan.
Get all the information you need to ace the test and secure your admission at a law university with this guide.
Suo Motu Legislation & Lawyers’ Movement 2.0
The Chief Justice of Pakistan’s suo motu powers have now been reduced by the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023.
This all began last month when the Chief Justice decided to take suo motu notice of the delay in elections in Punjab.
To counter this, the Sharif-led administration undertook judicial reforms to limit the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s unilateral power to exercise suo motu authority. They have now granted that power to a three-member committee comprising the CJP and two senior-most judges.
Crisis and Communication: The Case of the Desert Locust Episode in Pakistan
The Desert Locust episode in Pakistan (2018-21), when swarms of desert locusts migrated to the Indo-Pakistan border from the Arabian Peninsula in 2019, was a crisis that called into question the performance of our policy-makers and institutions.
This locust crisis was an actual eye-opener for the nation w.r.t. the dilapidated systems of governance and performance.
In addition to this, the crisis also showed the importance of communication and efficient dissemination of information during crisis management.
The Law of Self-Defence in Pakistan
In Pakistan, self-defence is referred to as private defence. The right of private defence is elaborated in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) from sections 96 to 106.
With caselaws, Samar Shazad illustrates the conditions, the rule of proportionality, and the limitations of the right of private defence.
While the burden of proof for criminal cases rests on the prosecution, in the case of self-defence, the onus is on the accused who must justify that the circumstances warranted such.
Political Parties of Pakistan: Vengeance or Retribution
The perception that Pakistan is the world’s most dangerous country is exaggerated, to say the least. However, the idea that it is the most difficult country to govern has steadily gained credence over time.
Among the many problems that the country is confronted with, is the legacy of vicitimisation and vengeance between political opponents, which constantly results in political turbulence.
‘Politics – thy name is vengeance’ has hence become the norm in the country’s political system.
Will Huawei Be Able to Hold Out Against the US’s Sanctions?
The US has persisted in exerting pressure on allies, especially in Europe, to exclude Huawei from their 5G wireless networks.
There are also concerns over Huawei’s ties to the Chinese government and that its products might be used to sneak on other nations.
Fatima Haider notes that many nations would not be able to resist Huawei’s cost-friendly 5G installations for long.
Pakistan is benefitting itself from the ICT academies and tech infrastructure that Huawei has to offer.
Pakistan–India Adversarial Relations: Instability for South Asia
Even with both Pakistan and India being nuclear weapon states, strategic stability in South Asia is under constant stress.
Brig. Syed Mushtaq Ahmed (R) discusses how the US is continually supporting India, to control China’s influence in the region. This means the Indians are ramping up their military capacities – and Pakistan then has to reciprocate.
He goes on to explore regional and global dynamics, and then offers viable policies for Pakistan and India, to work towards the much-needed regional economic cooperation.
Women’s Mobility in Karachi: The Pink Bus Initiative
Mobility is a challenge for many women around the world, but especially in Pakistan.
Maryam Jilani explores infrastructure and how it causes gendered inequalities. She applauds the pink bus service in Karachi and encourages initiatives and infrastructure for gender-inclusive access.
PEMRA Suspends ARY News’ License Again
In recent spate of political events, the license of one of the mainstream news broadcasters, ARY News, was cancelled by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
PEMRA issued a ban on airing the speeches of the former premier Imran Khan on March 5th, with the warning that any media house found in violation would have its broadcasting license cancelled.
Explainer: Mini-Budget 2023 of Pakistan
The mini-budget 2023 has become infamous for the economic shock waves and the glaring reduction in the purchasing power of the citizens of Pakistan.
In the hopes of securing a $1.1 billion deal with the IMF, the current government hurriedly drafted a “cure-all” mini-budget which received formal assent from the President just last month.
Afifa Iqbal provides a concise description of the mini-budget, so that more citizens, especially the youth, are able to get a clearer understanding.
A Look Into the Pakistan-Türkiye Relief Efforts
Zainab Haseeb undertakes an event-by-event analysis to understand how both Pakistan and Türkiye have contributed to safeguarding each other’s interests during natural challenges.
She traces the relief efforts made during the 2005 earthquake, the 2022 floods, and the recent 2023 earthquakes.
Victor’s Peace: Merits & Pitfalls
Victor’s Peace strategy is deployed when all peaceful means toward conflict are unsuccessful in de-escalating it. The ultimate goal of the intervening party is to establish durable and long-lasting peace, instead of prioritizing their strategic motives.
In theory, military overtaking has negative connotations but in places where negotiated peace fails time and again, the immediate solution is Victor’s Peace, conditions can always be negotiated afterward.
Hafsa Ammar provides both national and international as well as historical and recent accounts to illustrate the concept and dimensions of Victor’s Peace.
What Does 2023 Hold for Pakistan?
In just the last two months, significant political harm has been done to the government, to major institutions and their reputations, as well as to the general elite. This is a direct result of the issues posed by inflation and the additional drastic deterioration of consumer capabilities.
Hina Anwar believes that the comparative economic advantage of Pakistan’s rivals (e.g. India) will further pull the country into political and economic crises.
Such crises are likely to manifest in the short term, as a fresh wave of terrorist attacks by the TTP, Daesh, and the separatists in Balochistan.
The FIR in Pakistan’s Criminal Justice System
The First Information Report (FIR) is a written document by the police that begins criminal proceedings in Pakistan.
In this piece, Ali Hamza shares the importance and evidentiary value of an FIR through different case studies.
The F9 Incident
Pakistan’s constant ranking as the worst or second worst in the Global Gender Gap Report should have been the clarion call for urgent action.
However, the recent incident in which two men gang-raped a woman in one of the most prominent and supposedly safe parks in the country tells a somber story of criminal negligence and inaction.
