2019: Wither PTI’s tax reforms?
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqThe Government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) contrary to its election promises after coming into power avoided fundamental structural tax reforms that could have yielded required revenue to make Pakistan self-reliant. It only resorted to patchwork…
Making 2020 year of prosperity
Dr. Ikramul HaqThe pathetic performance of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in achieving even downward revised budgets for the last many years has adversely affected the fiscal scene—on the one hand federal government is in deep debt trap, fiscal deficit…
Remembering Benazir Bhutto
Victim of ‘New Great Game’December 27, 2019 marks the 12th death anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the great visionary leader, who resisted with great courage the agenda of neo-colonial forces aimed at pushing Pakistan to a theocratic State incapable…
Federalisation versus centralisation
2020: Year of Road to ProsperityHuzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqThe Chairman of Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), while addressing a conference on ‘Ease of doing business in Pakistan: a case for tax harmonisation’, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute…
Lost frontiers—on Benazir’s 12th anniversary
Huzaima Bukhari“Pakistan’s future viability, stability and security lie in empowering its people and building political institutions. My goal is to prove that the fundamental battle for the hearts and minds of a generation can be accomplished only under democracy”―Benazir BhuttoWhen…
Remembering Benazir Bhutto
December 27, 2012 marks the fifth death anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the great visionary leader, who resisted with great courage the agenda of neo-colonial forces—pushing Pakistan to a theocratic State incapable of progressing towards an egalitarian and democratic…
27th CJP & challenges
Dr. Ikramul HaqCorruption and illegalities in all state departments need to be seriously addressed and eliminated root and branch—Chief Justice, Gulzar AhmedWith the appointment of Mr. Justice Gulzar Ahmad as 27th Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) on December 21, 2019,…
Unpaid refunds: continuation of ‘Dar(k) Era’
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul HaqThe poor genuine exporters were left begging for their refunds but fraudsters made up bogus documentation and decamped with huge amounts, unpunished and unquestioned—Tahir Jahangir, Chairman, Towel Manufacturers Association of PakistanThe Chairman of Towel Manufacturing…
Democracy & rule of law
Huzaima Bukhari“The rule of law is the basis for any democracy. And without the rule of law in democracy, you have chaos”—Meles Zenawi, 13th Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 to his death in 2012According to the World Justice Project…