Sheraz Zaka
Daily Times
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Past articles by Sheraz:
A reformist approach to domestic workers’ rights
The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab recently passed the Domestic Workers Act 2019 for the regulation of wages and working conditions of domestic workers. Never before in the history of Pakistan was such a law passed for the enforcement of fundamental rights of domestic workers. Earlier, the honourable Lahore High Court gave a detailed verdict … → Read More
China-Pakistan relations and global politics
In these turbulent times, Pakistan’s relationship with China provides an essential anchor for its security and foreign policy and the foundation for its socioeconomic development. China meets Pakistan’s defence requirements; it is building Pakistan’s infrastructure; it is a bulwark against aggression by India and bullying by the US. The trade tariffs Trump has imposed are … → Read More
The new era
The myriad of challenges faced by Imran Khan’s government has left us wondering about their future path. Certainly the government needs to adopt austerity measures when it comes to spending. The rising public debt, deterioration in the value of rupee, low tax to GDP ratio, decreasing foreign direct investment and downward trend of our exports … → Read More
Foreign policy and economic challenges
After succeeding in the elections held on 25 July 2018, likely-to-be-prime minister-Imran Khan addressed the nation and also talked about the challenges the country is facing at present. Imran Khan not only discussed the problems the country is facing internally but also regarding the external relations especially with India and Afghanistan. Imran Khan was right … → Read More
Digging deep — who are we voting for?
The honourable Lahore High Court recently gave a landmark verdict reported as Pakistan Legal Digest (PLD) 2018 Lahore page 641 (Habib Akram versus Federation of Pakistan) concerning the impugned Election Act 2017 through which a number of amendments were made in election forms (nomination papers). Through the impugned Election Act 2017, a number of columns … → Read More
Trump is shunning friends to embrace foes
The meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has created a lot of frenzy and speculations in the international media. Even though this hype could not fetch fruitful or meaningful results between the two countries, it has managed to create a possibility for North Korea’s nuclear programme to be … → Read More
Rule of law and Article 62(1)(F)
The recent verdict enunciated by the honourable supreme court of Pakistan regarding the interpretation of Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution has resulted in the disqualification of a person for a lifetime to contest the elections. During the Martial Law regime of General Zia-ul-Haq, amendments were made to the 1973 Constitution, including some that were meant … → Read More
Prince Salman and the Middle-East conflict
Recently in an interview, Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Salman expressed his view in a candid manner that like other states, the citizens of Israel also have a right of claiming separate nationhood. However, in order to make it happen successfully, it is the sine qua non that both Israel and Palestine should enter into a … → Read More
The plight of the working-class
It is very distressing to note that domestic workers doing household work are subjected to work for long hours in miserable conditions along with maltreatment — a stark reality in our country. The Article 3 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 states: ‘Elimination of exploitation — The State shall ensure the elimination of all forms … → Read More
Constitutional politics and judicial review powers
The recent verdict by the apex court that disqualified Nawaz Sharif from heading a political party is a landmark decision that upholds the rule of law and principles of morality. The Supreme Court in simpliciter has held that if a person cannot contest the elections on account of his disqualification under Article 62 and Article … → Read More
Tax amnesty schemes: an affirmative action
There has been a lot of discussion amongst constitutional lawyers regarding the legality of tax amnesty schemes. For the first time in the history of Lahore High Court, a point of law has been settled in a case by the honourable justice Shahid Karim that tax amnesty schemes brought by the federal government after seeking … → Read More
Foreign ties: the conflict between Russia and the West
After defeating Germany in World War II in May 1945, the aggressive expansionist of Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, wanted to expand Soviet influence to West Europe in order to become a superpower. Stalin wanted to create a security zone that could serve as a bulwark against US and curtail its clout in Germany. In March … → Read More
The followers of Fukuyama
Human history is replete with different social, economic and political systems which have been shaped on the basis of apocalyptic circumstances that have transpired from time to time. Such historic events have been witnessed either in form of wars, revolutions or other incidents which would subsequently result in apolitical or economic transformation of the region … → Read More
Aspire to inspire
Had Madam Asma Jahangir confined herself to being just a human rights activist, she would not have earned so much recognition and appreciation in our country. In the legal fraternity, if you are an activist you are not taken seriously as a professional lawyer. To be straight forward, such a lawyer is mainly remembered as … → Read More
South Asia in ‘Thucydides Trap’
In international politics, every country formulates its policy in accordance with its national interests. Sometimes, these interests remain confidential keeping in consideration the moral certitudes; hence, neither any country is a permanent enemy of another state nor a lifelong friend of another. It is the national interest of a state which prevails ultimately and plays … → Read More
Kurdistan, the US and Turkey
Last week, when the Turkish troops entered northern Syrian district Afrin, the issue of Kurd’s independence rose to prominence once again. Kurds have been living and settled in the outskirts of Afrin district and the region surrounding it. The Turkish government is of the view that across the border region, assistance is being provided to … → Read More
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest
The recent decision of the judicial commission to elevate Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah to the Supreme Court reminds me of a 1962 novel, ‘One flew over the cuckoo’s nest’. The novel revolves around a story about a rebellion which transpires against the functionaries running the affairs of a mental institution. The narrative serves as … → Read More
The superpowers of the 21st century
The United States played an instrumental role in defeating Nazi Germany and Japan in the Second World War. In the aftermath of Second World War, it was the United States which structured the contours of economic policy as well as the security plan for the entire comity of nations. For instance, the Marshall plan and … → Read More
US hubris and ISIS
While almost the whole world agrees that the defeat of ISIS can only be a good thing — it is still too premature at this juncture to claim success on this front. Like other revolutionary movements that took place from France to Russia to Cambodia, ISIS also made declarations about how it was going change … → Read More
Improving Pak-Iran ties: a game changer
There was a time when the relations between Iran and Pakistan were cordial. In 1947 Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan as an independent country. King Raza Shah Pehlavi was the first foreign leading dignitary to pay a state visit to Pakistan. Both countries were members of SEATO. The cultural links between both … → Read More