Opinion Archives - Page 11 of 45

Pakistan’s Judicial Overhaul Squeaks Through After Serious Political Drama

22Oct

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Pakistan’s Judicial Overhaul Squeaks Through After Serious Political Drama

After weeks of intense political maneuvering, Pakistan’s Parliament has passed a set of constitutional amendments that will overhaul the process for appointing the country’s chief justice. Critics called it an effort to rein in the Supreme Court as it has emerged as a political force in its own right and challenged Pakistan’s powerful military establishment. The governing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and other groups managed to cobble together the two-thirds majority needed to change the Constitution in a session that continued into the early hours of Monday. In fiery speeches railing against what they called judicial activism, lawmakers in the ruling coalition said the amendments would bolster the primacy of political leaders in Pakistan. But the party of former Prime Minister

Maldives Takes Action to Tighten Belts and Increase Tourism Taxes

17Oct

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Maldives Takes Action to Tighten Belts and Increase Tourism Taxes

The Maldives government has decided to hike tourism-related taxes in a belated push for sorely needed economic reforms. Government-sponsored bills were submitted to Parliament this week to double the green tax, hike the departure fee and airport service charge, and raise the tourism goods and services tax (T-GST). The move came after the World Bank reiterated that a “large fiscal consolidation is urgently required to regain fiscal and debt sustainability and ease liquidity pressures,” referring to foreign exchange reserves plunging to “critically low levels” due to rising debt repayment. “Despite the government’s announcement of a homegrown fiscal reform agenda in February 2024, the policies are yet to be endorsed and implemented,” the Worl

Bangladesh is in a strong position to establish a new political region. Is It Able to Grab the Moment?

16Oct

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Bangladesh is in a strong position to establish a new political region. Is It Able to Grab the Moment?

The dramatic collapse of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has created extraordinary churn and uncertainty at home, in the region, and geopolitically. A student-driven movement led to widespread demonstrations that triggered a crisis within the regime, most notably the military’s refusal to repress the protests. Hasina is now in India, and an interim government is in place in Dhaka, advised by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. External observers are watching developments carefully to understand what trajectory Bangladesh might take. The most important questions are domestic. The aftermath of political revolutions can go in numerous directions, from civil war to the consolidation of a new and broadly accepted political system, and everything in between.

13Oct

By Nectar GanNo Comments

The scale of China’s anti-corruption campaign: Some recent examples

China’s top anti-corruption agency has said that former Justice Minister Tang Yijun would be indicted on charges of corruption and misconduct after being accused of taking bribes and abused his power. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) has accused Tang of helping family members secure financial deals and accepting lavish gifts and travel expenses, in violation of the Communist Party’s code of conduct. While Tang’s case, like so many others shows continuance of the anti-corruption campaign by Xi Jinping, a new dimension has been recently added relating to ‘corruption of the mind’ and disloyalty to the Communist Party of China (CPC) by reading publications with “serious political problems”. This has become an increasingly common accusation levelled at disg

Fallout by Salman Masood immerses readers in the political unrest in Pakistan.

13Oct

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Fallout by Salman Masood immerses readers in the political unrest in Pakistan.

This reviewer went to several well-known and well-stocked bookshops but could not find a copy of Fallout: Power, Intrigue and Political Upheaval in Pakistan. More shockingly, there are hardly any non-fiction books or fiction, for that matter, on Pakistan to be found. And Pakistan’s literary fiction, some claim, is superior to India’s. Then I realised that one hardly reads about Pakistan in the newspapers either; there is the same brain-dead parroting by the usual right-wing foghorns, but no update on our largest neighbour, from whom we are actually “separated-at-birth”. It all no doubt has to do with the government and its policy of deep-freezing relations with Pakistan. When I did get this book, I was fascinated. The book is a recapping of Pakistan’s past decade with a focus on t

China is prepared to modernize alongside Singapore, according to the Chinese prime

11Oct

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

China is prepared to modernize alongside Singapore, according to the Chinese prime

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Friday that China stands ready to work with Singapore to jointly advance their respective modernization process. Li made the remarks during his meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on the sidelines of the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation held in Vientiane. Li said that for a long time, China and Singapore have maintained close and good high-level exchanges, the leaders of the two countries have exchanged in-depth views on strategic issues related to the long-term interests of both sides and discussed development plans. "This is a unique advantage and important guarantee for China and Singapore to promote the development of bilateral relations," Li said, noting China is willing to continue this fine tradition with the S...

China is prepared to modernize alongside Singapore.

11Oct

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

China is prepared to modernize alongside Singapore.

VIENTIANE - Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Friday that China stands ready to work with Singapore to jointly advance their respective modernization process. Li made the remarks in his meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on the sidelines of the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation held in Vientiane. Noting that both countries are at a critical stage of development, Li said China is also willing to join Singapore to guide their all-round cooperation in a high-quality fashion and with foresight.

For the first time since 2015, India’s foreign minister will travel to Pakistan.

4Oct

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

For the first time since 2015, India’s foreign minister will travel to Pakistan.

India's foreign minister S Jaishankar will attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Pakistan this month, his ministry has announced. This will be the first visit by a high ranking Indian minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade. The trip comes after Mr Jaishankar's Pakistani counterpart attended a similar meeting of foreign ministers from the SCO in India last year - he was the first senior Pakistani politician to visit since 2011. Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have been tense for years and they have fought three wars since they became independent nations in 1947 - two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir. The SCO is a political union of countries formed to discuss security and economic matters in Central Asia. The...

Mauritius will gain control over the Chagos Islands from the UK.

4Oct

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Mauritius will gain control over the Chagos Islands from the UK.

The UK has announced it is giving up sovereignty of a remote but strategically important cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean after more than half a century. The deal – reached after years of negotiations - will see the UK hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a historic move. This includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, used by the US government as a military base for its navy ships and long-range bomber aircraft. The announcement, made in a joint statement by the UK and Mauritian Prime Ministers, ends decades of often fractious negotiations between the two countries. The US-UK base will remain on Diego Garcia – a key factor enabling the deal to go forward at a time of growing geopolitical rivalries in the region between Western countries, India, and China. T

In a rare instance, a former Singaporean minister is imprisoned.

3Oct

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

In a rare instance, a former Singaporean minister is imprisoned.

Subramaniam Iswaran, a senior cabinet minister in Singapore's government, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison in a high-profile trial that has gripped the wealthy nation. Iswaran, 62, pleaded guilty to accepting gifts worth more than S$403,000 ($311,882; £234,586) while in public office, as well as obstructing the course of justice. The gifts included tickets to the Formula 1 Grand Prix, a Brompton T-line bicycle, alcohol and a ride on a private jet. Justice Vincent Hoong, who oversaw the case in Singapore's High Court, emphasised that the former transport minister's crimes were an abuse of power and jeopardised people’s trust in public institutions. He also noted that Iswaran seemed to think he would be acquitted. "In his letter to the prime minister, he stated he re