Shakil Durrani

Shakil Durrani

  • Waters of arbitration

    Waters of arbitration

    Frustration of Indian PM Modi after Pahalgam attack is evident because his macho image has been dented

  • Are service reforms enough?

    The failure of the state to adequately provide constitutionally mandated basic rights and services to the people is undeniable. Low human...

  • Pointless extravagance

    Pakistan’s total debt has reportedly risen to Rs36 trillion. There are multiple reasons for the rise, including unnecessary and wasteful...

  • An ambush of democracy?

    Bertrand Russell famously said in ‘A History of Western Philosophy’ that “in all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a...

  • December blues

    The month of December in Pakistan has often been associated with collective grief. In 1971, this month saw Pakistan’s its breakup.The first woman...

  • Requiem for Peshawar

    Requiem for Peshawar

    Peshawar needs to be pitied. In truth, every city in Pakistan is similarly choking. Western Peshawar was amazingly well-planned, , by the British...

  • The distinguished dozen

    Seeking unanimity in selecting the top achievers in different fields is a near impossibility; perceptions differ even where no bias is at play. All...

  • Does power corrupt?

    In the mid-nineteenth century Lord Acton first introduced the well-known dictum, ‘power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts...

  • No compromise on rights

    No compromise on rights

    On August 5, through a presidential decree, India scrapped Article 370 of its constitution which granted a special status to Jammu Kashmir.This...

  • For the future

    With every passing day, Pakistan will regret its failure in not improving its human development indices or its embarrassingly high population...

  • Security and justice after the merger

    The merger of the erstwhile tribal areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018 was a wise decision. In fact, this was the only rational course available;...

  • Recognising more heroes

    In my article on June 22, 2019 , I listed out a few people who can be called water heroes for Pakistan. Heroes emerge when vision meets courage....

  • What went wrong?

    Pakistan confronts a serious paradox. It was once home to world-class achievers in virtually every field of human activity. Today, it stagnates. We...

  • Water heroes

    Much has been written on ‘unlikely heroes’ in diverse fields. I wish to recall for posterity a few who left their mark on the water sector in...

  • The Korean model

    Pakistan’s economic conditions remain dire but there is hope. It is time it looks East for inspiration. Had we looked East decades back we could...

  • Districts in decay

    Of the three tiers of government in Pakistan the lowest one is the revenue/administrative districts. This, sadly, also remains the lowest priority...

  • Bleak future ahead

    Raw emotions aside, hopes for a prosperous Pakistan in the years ahead look rather bleak. We may continue to be allotted an identified space on the...

  • A tale of two dams

    Financing the Diamer Basha Dam and Mohmand Dam should never be seen as obstacles. We know that money is never the major constraint; poor resolve is...

  • From crisis to consensus

    The efforts being made to open the debate on the Kalabagh Dam are laudable. There are undoubtedly some problems. But these aren’t challenges that...