Ali Malik's blog

Express Report on Justice Sharif's speech. Asia News Link Above are links to press reports on speech of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Kh. Muhammad Sharif. One could argue about the entire content of this speech. On any account, the speech is inappropriate for the conduct of a judge. However, I will refrain from delving into the entire content of the speech and will focus only on one area which certainly makes him liable for being politically biased. He has indulged in a blame game with a political party openly and has criticized the party and its government for its record indulging in comments which are heavily politically loaded. Being a citizen of Pakistan, he is entitled to his opinions but his conduct as a judge demands him to be impartial. In the wake of such open display of Justice Sharif's views about a political party, he is no longer fit to hold the high office of Chief Justice of a High Court which demands complete impartiality and no display of opinions and comment...

I wonder from Pervaiz Khan (Who had someone else to appear for exams rather than himself) to Chaudhary Ghafoor (Customs fame trying to clear his friend's smuggled goods) to Chauhdary Ghafoor (Abusing a woman MPA inside Punjab Assembly) to DIG Zulfikar Cheema (Accused of corruption by Express reporter and then persecuting the same reporter - and by the same DIG who was praised by NS for his call to duty during Long March by Nawaz Sharif) to this latest incidence why all the mismanagement and abuse of power is attributed to PML-N (A party still perceived by urban classes and media as a cleaner party)?

Supreme Court has suspended the imposition of Carbon tax on petroleum products. This move has been hailed by many sections of a society as a relief given to the ordinary man by country's apex court. To counter that the President has issued an ordinance reimposing tariff on petroleum products. I am someone who will be benefiting from this relief directly. However, I think this is a very dangerous precedence and has far reaching impacts not only for country's economy but its stability as well. In purely economic terms, the move is likely to increase the twin deficit of Pakistan. On one hand, it leaves a revenue gap of PKR 122 billion and thus increases the budget deficit by the same amount which will need to be filled through borrowing. Secondly, and even more so, oil imports are 25% of Pakistan's total imports. With lower prices, the demand is going to be higher, thus leading to more imports and thus greater trade imbalance which a country like Pakistan with weak export base...