Ashwin Makhija

While local governments are at the forefront of the current Covid-19 crisis the world over, in Pakistan these institutions are largely disengaged from its citizens. Either there is a complete absence of a local authority in most of the districts or the governance style that it follows, wherever it marginally exists, is authoritative and reactive in nature. Whatever the case may be, the essential state-society social contract is being undermined, which may lead to marginalization, group grievances, and conflict and social resistance as put by the 'Covid-19 Pakistan Socio-economic Impact Assessment and Response Plan' released by the UNDP. The report goes on further to warn about the potential perils that perhaps the virus will wreck on the people: the impacts may reach deep into society and on the behavior of individual, and affect well-being and mental health. Against this likely scenario, a weak coordination mechanism and platform at the local level is already rendering relief ...

It goes without saying that work during Covid-19 has received an abysmal blow. Employees everywhere are facing abrupt layoffs, and thus are encountering overwhelming miseries, especially in developing countries like Pakistan. Against this backdrop, however, there are a couple of countries that have operationalized extensive plans, embodying creativity and innovation, to cushion workers from the unprecedented shocks of the day as well as of tomorrow. In the similar vein, it is imperative for Pakistan to realize the gravity of current circumstances and hence bring forward a long-term plan to overhaul the employment sector. For that the state must initially work on building a consensus among various stakeholders in the concerned quarters. After having done with that, the key priority ought to be given to economic growth. Although achieving a sustained rate of recovery is challenging, it is the key to the pains of workforce in the country. Some part of the solution also lie in income gener...

The current challenging times necessitate that the state must come forward with a pragmatic policy to ensure that everyone has timely access to food. A plan in this direction should include a variety of flexible options to augment the reliability of food accessibility. The key factor of poverty rate should also be given sufficient consideration while working on any such policy draft. First and foremost, the potential scheme needs to target at supplementing the government's relief packages so that the marginalized could, at least, benefit from this temporary aid. The second in this line should be a plan for contingency food stocks. These must be reinforced and prepositioned at strategic locations to avoid any uncertainty in future. Similarly, a provision of either food or unconditional cash assistance in both urban and rural areas would be highly desirable. In this regard, whatever the kind of assistance would be chosen needs to be sensitive to the needs of women who have assumed a ...

The current times of pandemic expose workers in Pakistan to a great many of dangers. Those working in both formal and informal sectors risk loosing their incomes as well as jobs. As lockdowns hit the markets, businesses would be forced to shutdown, producing uncertainty for employees. In particular, informal sector, comprising 70 percent of economy in Pakistan, is precarious and vulnerable to shocks, as workers in this quarter are not entitled with any labour relief schemes. Similarly, those employed in authorized firms are not any immune to prevailing circumstances. They are prone to a greater casualisation of the workforce, for their employment is usually based on casual contracts offering little to no worker benefits. Above all, poor labour law enforcement, inadequate skill development schemes, and underdeveloped demand and supply side of labor market are supposed to add to the misery of the affected. On the firm's side, there are also concerns about macroeconomics, energy-relat...

Pakistan must take a lesson from countries that have so far shown success in dealing with the virus. In this regard, there are a couple of nations from which the leadership in the country can take an inspiration.  Consider Vietnam first. It is one of those nations that, despite having few resources, have stood out as a champion in controlling the pandemic. Its response was timely and effective, and it emphasized home-grown solutions to keep the number of cases to minimum. Some of the steps taken there are formation of contact-tracing teams, regular inspections of the infected by neighborhood wardens, and strict scrutiny of fake news circulating on social media platforms.  Nevertheless, officials in Pakistan, to absolve themselves of their missteps, may argue that Vietnam's success story depended chiefly upon its authoritarian and one-party system. To counter any such arguments, they must be introduced to another example of Sierra Leone, a not-very-rich country in Africa. It's ...

Although the human is in a learning process throughout his life, he is chiefly responsive to his surroundings in his adulthood. Particularly in this period, he is more susceptible to bad inspirations, and he feels greatly rebellious by nature when things do not conform to his will and desire. First and foremost, corrupt content affects minors severely. Such type of material is present everywhere today. Whether it is home or school, children somehow get in touch with the demoralizing stimulants which leave permanent scars on their conscience. Additionally, societies we live in have also become troubled as traditional norms have been weakening gradually. With the inception of modernity, it is now common to openly talk about murder, sex, violence, brutality, and so forth, on social media and through smartphones. Many comic books and television shows, as well, unrestrictedly institutionalize obscenity and sins among children. Even more, modern problems of migration, atrocities, poverty, ...

History is full of great leaders who brought changes in the world, some in a similar fashion and others differently. The examples of their struggles abound and have filled many pages of human history. Here, in this essay, a brief account of similarities and differences between two great leaders of their times, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., has been given. Their personalities and lives converge in many ways. The one way in which they are comparable is that they both pursued civil rights and thus landed in jail for their ideals and social actions. Similarly, they headed organizations in their countries, and each has a day that is dedicated to them, MLK day is celebrated in January every year and Nelson Mandela International Day in July. For their contributions, they also received Noble Peace Prizes and are remembered to this day. As far as their personal lives are concerned, each had four children, and, to date, their respective living places have been preserved: The Nelso...

Without any doubt, democracy is backsliding in the country where it took birth. Many negative elements have taken on democracy in the United States of America. First and foremost, the hit has come from racial prejudice and physical torture of Black people. The latest horrific incident of policeman knelting on the neck of George Floyd, a black man, in the USA has provoked serious condemnation globally. This episode in itself is demonstrative of how Americans treat their counterparts who are in minority. Similarly, Trump has expressed his propensity for authoritarian tendencies. Whether at home or abroad he has supported despotic moves, and favored authoritarianism over democracy. His whims and fancies have cost his nation and the world dearly. Even more, his disdain for multiculturalism and the essence of cooperation is driving the anarchy deeper into the framework of global politics. It might not be so far from now when the whole planet would embrace individualism and autocracy at the ...

Add caption 1. Baha’i Founded by the Persian Baha’u’llah. Believes all religious leaders are manifestations of God and all scripture sacred. Nature and Scripture are the “two books” of revelation. Shoghi Effendi, Baha’u’llah’s great-grandson, noted: “Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it.” 2. Buddhism Teaches respect for and interconnectedness of nature; plants and animals are included in schemes of salvation. Gautama Buddha was born, attained enlightenment, and died under trees. Sacred trees are decorated and revered. Buddhism advocates protection, such as ridam in Bhutan, an annual prohibition on entering a designated mountain forest. 3. Christianity Teaches that all creation is a loving act of God and that humanity may not destroy God’s creations without the risk of destroying itself. St Francis was an early proponent of ecological stewardship. There have been statements by Christian leaders in response to the e...

Education is a child's basic right. Even in times of conflict, war or disaster, when states are compelled to shut down educational institutions, alternative learning opportunities should be brought forward for students.  Pakistan is currently passing through a similar phase. Since the pandemic has knocked at our doors, the schools and universities have been closed for an indefinite period. The state just yielded to an anonymous enemy, and subsequently, the students were deprived of their learning opportunities. However, to alleviate the losses, the institutions were directed to introduce a mechanism for online learning. Alas, everything went in vain when the harsh reality that only a handful of well-off and elite sections of the society could afford the luxury of internet connection came up to the surface. Once again, the directives were issued, but, this time, they entailed the halting of digital learning until the issue of internet connectivity and affordability could be resolved...

Those who think that China will surpass the USA anytime soon must read the following points to overcome their doubts.  1. China is a country of both strengths and weaknesses while the USA has several advantages. China's geographic location is troublesome. It's surrounded by 14 countries, of which three countries (India, Japan and Vietnam) are not very friendly to her. To add, it has many territorial disputes with its neighbors. On the other hand, the location of the USA is a great benefit to it. It has a clear advantage of isolation and security provided by surrounding oceans and friendly allies respectively. 2. China is an energy importer. It depends on Persian Gulf for its needs, and it's very import cargoes pass through the Indian Ocean where the USA and its allies already have supremacy. The USA, in contrast, has become the largest exporter of oil in the world, thanks to the shale revolution. 3. China has a marked demographic disadvantage. It's working age populatio...

Education is desirable for all modern civilized nations, but it is, nevertheless, a proposition which has at all times been denied by some men whose acumen commands respect. Those who resist education do so on grounds that it cannot realize its purported objective. Before examining their opinions, it must, therefore, be clear for all what it is that one should wish education to accomplish if possible: on this question there are as many divergent views as there are conceptions of human welfare. But there there is one temperamental cleavage that goes deeper than any of the other controversies, and that is the cleavage between those who consider education primarily in relation to the individual psyche, and those who consider it in relation to the community. Assuming that education should do something to affort a training, the question arises whether education should train good individuals or good citizens. What is your take on it? Kindly, write in the comments section. P.S. The abov...

The current pandemic has come as an opportunity for terrorist organizations to enhance their operational capabilities and expand their influence. While the world is busy fighting the virus that has brought everything to a standstill, terrorist networks, exploiting the situation, has embarked on a trajectory of strengthening their foothold in fragile regions such as Afghanistan and some parts of Pakistan.  The latest attack on the maternity hospital in Afganistan on May 12 sent many people into a shock. The incident was gut-wrenching as many newborn babies were killed and maimed by terrorists to showcase their influence and power in the country. Given that the Kabul government is already occupied in dealing with the twin problems – the outbreak of the virus and the intra-Afghan peace process – the incident came as a bolt from the blue. It shook the state and the world alike. It further cast doubt on the credibility of the Doha peace deal, which had ensured that at least temporary pe...

It was in 2016 when the people in the United States of America had enthusiastically cast their votes to elect a new president. Unexpectedly, Trump emerged as a winner and became the 45th president of America. Whatever has followed since then is not concealed from anyone. But, if anyone could recall, a controversy had hit the headlines soon afterward: It was alleged that Russia had meddled into the USA elections.   The incident, quite unique in itself, was the first time that an external state, not a domestic actor, had interfered in the American democratic system. The issue was investigated, followed by the release of reports claiming that the offender had exploited the information and cyberspace landscapes to sow discontent and confusion in the country. An army of digital bots had been released on Twitter and Facebook to foment disorder and feed particular narratives to the people. Still more, traditional media outlets, hundreds of social media pages and blogs, and youtube ch...

It is a sorry state of affairs to know that, even today, the people are confused as to the “ideology of Pakistan.” They do not understand what Pakistan is. They are, however, not to be blamed for this as the political socialization process in Pakistan has not been strong enough so far. Even mainstream political parties have negated “two-nation theory” many a time.  Particularly after the people in East Pakistan took to demand the provincial autonomy, which eventually culminated into their secession in 1971, the underlying theory behind the division of united India came under severe criticism. The post-independence era could not unite both the wings. Geographical gaps divided the state elite politically, economically, and ethnically. The push to preserve Islamic ideology could not become as relevant to Bengalis as their ethnic identity and language did. For them, what counted the most was the equitable resource distribution and political representation. Given that both the aspects i...

Lately, a piece of news broke out that the construction work on the Diamer-Basha dam has started. This news provoked much attention and sent many into rejoicing. For many, it rekindled hopes that the dam would finally be taking a step closer to reality. It is not less than a dream coming true for the people as they have been waiting for more than twenty years for such an announcement. Yes, you heard it right: Twenty years.  One might wonder why it took so long. What were the previous governments doing? If the questions intrigue you, go ahead, read whatever this article offers you, and quench your thirst for the answers.  It was back then in 1980 when some experts suggested that erecting a flurry of dams, including Diamer-Basha Dam, was imperative to meet the future needs of the country. Simply an idea took birth, but it was not until 1998 that the foundation stone of the Diamer-Basha dam had been laid down by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.  Came later president Pervez ...

Before Pakistan got independence, Quaid-e-Azam had made it a point to grant as much autonomy to the provinces in the new country as exercised by states in the USA, Canada or Australia. He believed that a federal form of government with considerable decentralization would add to the nationhood in the novel state. His ideals, however, began to change once he succeeded in his objective of securing a separate state for the muslims of India. He backtracked from his promises to the provinces, antoganizing the other half of the state - the East Pakistan - partly because of the fear arising from the Indian intentions of disintegrating the new state. Even before India was divided, Congress leaders had been contemplating that Pakistan would ultimately reunite with the former, and Quaid, though reluctantly, was urged to take that proposition at face value. He was afraid that India, the would-be arch-rival, might exploit particular ethnic communities in a state where there was greater provincial a...