Mamdani Political Salvos
L. Ali Khan In 1837, Ethan Allen of Massachusetts patented a low-cost, multi-barreled revolver called the pepperbox—a compact weapon that enabled ordinary people to fire several shots without reloading. Its name derives from its similarity to a household pepper […]
Divine Healing
Divine healing is as old as humanity. Some call it superstition; some call it a placebo effect. However, the believers swear by its efficacy. Praying is an old medicine in all societies, regardless of the names of the deities. […]
Pakistan’s Hybrid Democracy
One. A mixed rule by elected representatives and military establishment is a hybrid democracy. The combined ability of the military establishment and elected representatives to run the core affairs of the state is the emerging model of Pakistan’s democracy. […]
Sevens Manifesto for Democracy
One. Democracy is an imperfect form of government but superior to dictatorship (rule of one), kingship (rule of a royal family), theocracy (rule of clerics), oligarchy (rule of a group of tyrants), and aristocracy (rule of an educated and […]
American Professors Under Attack for Criticizing Israel
L. Ali Khan Canary Mission, an anonymous surveillance website now operating for nearly a decade, identifies American professors, students, and professionals for their criticisms of Israeli policies in the occupied territories of Gaza, West Bank, and Golan Heights. The […]
Pakistan’s Chief Justice Undermines Supreme Court Credibility
L. Ali Khan Imagine a system under which the U.S. Supreme Court hears cases as panels consisting of three to five Justices rather than as a full court of nine. Suppose that the Chief Justice makes a five-Justice panel […]
Pakistan Supreme Court Needs to Focus on the Speaker’s Ruling
The Pakistan Supreme Court, in a suo moto action, is reviewing the Deputy Speaker’s ruling that dismissed the no-confidence resolution against the Prime Minister. The Court must not waste time considering irrelevant questions and needs to focus on the […]
Prime Minister Plays Ball with the Constitution
Given the non-democratic implications of Article 63A, the Supreme Court will likely interpret its provisions supporting representative democracy rather than upholding the hegemony of Party Heads. The Court is unlikely to enforce the Party Head’s command to deny the defectors the right to assembly or vote in a no-confidence resolution. The Court will throw away the Speaker’s ruling that refuses to count the defectors’ votes supporting a no-confidence resolution. It is unpredictable whether the Court will mitigate the disqualification punishment for defection.
