Parenting: A Formidable Task
Huzaima Bukhari“Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes you a pianist”—Michael LevineNovember 30, 2021 proved a fateful day for four students of Oxford High School, Michigan in the United States of America (USA) when…
Pakistan & ESG implementation
Huzaima Bukhari, Dr. Ikramul Haq and Abdul Rauf ShakooriEnvironmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) values act as the guiding principle for a corporate sector’s obligation to the environment and community. For the responsible investors, ESG criteria is a litmus test for…
Reward for defrauding voters
Dr. Ikramul HaqPakistan is a strange country where the elected members of Parliament pass self-serving laws for rewarding those who defraud the voters. What makes the situation more painful is the fact that such laws, enacted in utter violation of…
Pakistan: Post-election Vulnerabilities
Dr. Ikramul Haq and Abdul Rauf ShakooriThe delayed process of electing representatives through ballots in Pakistan finally concluded on February 8, 2024 when the nation voted for 265 National Assembly constituencies and 590 representatives for all the four provinces. This…
Row over FBR restructuring
Dr. Ikramul Haq & Abdul Rauf ShakooriThis column has consistently argued for a single tax authority across all levels of government. The announcement of setting up the Pakistan Revenue Authority (PRA) should, therefore, have been an occasion to commend the…
2020: Year of Prosperity—debate & discourse
State, elitism & poverty alleviationHuzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq“The State shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation and the gradual fulfilment of the fundamental principle, from each according to his ability to each according to his work”—Article…
Sporting Events And The Public
Huzaima Bukhari“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it”—Laurence J. PeterSports are excellent for the physical and mental health of a nation. All around…
Malice Towards None & All
Self-Governance & Fiscal DecentralisationDr. Ikramul HaqFiscal decentralisation necessarily involves the transfer of taxing and spending powers to sub-national levels of government—in our context, local governments that are still deprived of devolution of political, administrative and fiscal powers despite unambiguous command…
Pakistan: Time to apply FATF membership
Huzaima Bukhari, Dr. Ikramul Haq and Abdul Rauf ShakooriThe Financial Action Task Force (FATF) concluded its 5th Plenary presided over by Singaporean President T. Raja Kumar. Delegates from over 200 jurisdictions and international organizations convened in Paris for three days…