Shahid Kardar

Featured in: Favicon

flipboard.com Favicon

lse.ac.uk

dawn.com

theprint.in Favicon

brecorder.com Favicon

asianews.network

Articles

Reforming the civil service

Oct 30, 2024 | dawn.com | Shahid Kardar

BUREAUCRATIC reforms have become essential, as a critical constraint today on the effective functioning of government is the budgetary and business cost of its overextended mandate. Bureaucrats claim to be neutral and disciplined implementers of the demands of the political leadership, blaming the latter for bad decisions and the ‘ills’ of the system.
Inconsistencies and disconnects

Oct 23, 2024 | dawn.com | Nadeem Haque |Shahid Kardar

THERE are contradictions in the policies being pushed by the IMF in the latest programme. While it played a crucial role in liberalising the economies of the communist bloc, it now appears to support heavy-handed regulation and price controls in a developing country like Pakistan. Such inconsistencies raise questions about the adaptability and relevance of IMF programmes in different contexts. In our case, the domestic market continues to influence the pace, pattern and level of growth.
IMF misses the mark yet again

Oct 17, 2024 | dawn.com | Nadeem Haque |Shahid Kardar

THE 24th IMF programme has been approved by the Fund’s Board. As per the Fund’s traditional approach, the programme is grounded in a basic accounting and meaningless framework that relies on a cash-based system to achieve a magical number for primary surplus (or deficit), all the while ignoring the structural problems of the country. At best, lip service is paid to reforms. Despite all the celebrations, let us not forget that we are in a low-investment, low-growth, and low-export trap.
Restructuring government

Oct 11, 2024 | dawn.com | Shahid Kardar

WE continue to operate old systems of governance, with the government performing functions beyond what should be its staple role. The trend has been for structures to grow, despite many tasks having become redundant. And this, despite the challenges of rapidly changing technological and global environments and the increased presence and capability of the private sector to perform various roles more efficiently.
A fraying federation

Sep 30, 2024 | dawn.com | Shahid Kardar

THE federation is now at stake. The bonds of national integration for a functioning federation are under severe stress. There is anger at the denial of political rights and the lack of effective ownership or even a say in the use and pricing of assets such as coal, gas and the ports. A recent decision to transfer land in Sindh and KP to the military for corporate farming intensifies this disgruntlement.
Resolving power sector woes

Sep 22, 2024 | dawn.com | Shahid Kardar

THE task of the country’s population has been reduced to keeping power sector entities afloat, by bearing unaffordable tariffs. And yet the sector’s financial viability remains in doubt. How did we get here? The reasons include incompetence, misgovernance and unadulterated theft. The terms were poorly negotiated with investors. Agreements with private IPPs were drafted with limited professional input, stained by issues of patronage and lack of transparency.
Matters of legitimacy

Sep 8, 2024 | dawn.com | Shahid Kardar |Shafqat Mahmood |Muhammad Amir Rana

IN an earlier article contributed by one of us in these columns it was argued that Pakistan is passing through a difficult phase, confronted by multiple challenges. And instead of being contained these are on the rise. On the one hand, the population is growing exponentially with opportunities for a decent living not keeping pace with the rising numbers. And on the other, the gap between diminishing state capacity and people’s expectations is making this task formidable.
Challenges to social cohesion

Aug 9, 2024 | dawn.com | Shahid Kardar

CONFRONTING a polycrisis mostly of its own making, the state’s governing capacity has gravely weakened and is wobbling between distress and failure. There are increasing signs that degeneration has set in, with the capability to deliver on the social contract between the citizenry and the rulers compromised — even when it comes to the primary function of providing security to life and property. An attempt is made below to identify the manifestations of the polycrisis.
Expecting too much

Jul 12, 2024 | dawn.com | Shahid Kardar |Reema Omer

THE provinces have become the favourite punching bag of Islamabad, donors and commentators. They are being chastised for failing to generate adequate resources to fund their constitutional responsibilities and provide social and economic services, such as law and order, education, health, water and sanitation, etc.
Palestinians banking on wildcards for Paris Olympics

Jun 12, 2024 | dawn.com | Shahid Kardar

RAMALLAH: The majority of Palestinian Olympic hopefuls are counting on wildcards from the International Olympic Committee to take part in the Paris Games amid the ongoing fighting in Gaza, Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, said on Wednesday. One Palestinian athlete — in taekwondo — has qualified in his own right while others are training to meet the IOC standards in their sports to have priority for wildcards.