www.asinstitute.org | Welfare of the people by the people

Alternate Solutions Institute, first free market think tank of Pakistan, is a registered, non-profit, non-political, non-governmental, educational and research organization. Its mission is to promote a limited responsible government in Pakistan under the rule of law protecting life, liberty, and property of all of its individual citizens without any discrimination.

The Curse Of Good Government

January 14, 2010

Yet I must admit that whenever I see government doing something that is outrageous or even wasteful or seemingly stupid, my "good government" ideals seem to kick in and I find myself thinking that the powers that be could learn how to do things correctly. At that point, it never occurs to me that maybe, just maybe, the mechanism of action we know as government cannot be operated in a "proper" way at all, because no intellectual device exists that permits us to properly determine just what is "good" or "bad" government.

“The Concept Of Democracy Would Remain Shattered Until Fundamental Rights Of The Citizens Were Ensured,” Observes The Supreme Court Of Pakistan

January 08, 2010

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 6, 2010), while criticizing the government for the second time, observed that the system in the country was in jeopardy and the concept of democracy would remain shattered until fundamental rights of the citizens were ensured.

Is Healthcare A "Human Right?"

January 02, 2010

Turning healthcare into an individual enforceable human right creates all kinds of legal complexities, undermines the rule of law and stifles political pluralism. Neither is there any evidence that “the right to health” has actually improved healthcare anywhere in the world – in some cases it has undermined it.

Reveling In Justice (FreePakistan Newsletter # 109)

January 01, 2010

Populism On The Rampage

December 24, 2009

Populism by its very nature is inimical to principles of morality and dictates of law. Like a blind force it razes everything to ground the first of which are morality and law, endangering the whole edifice of the society. That is what the PPP is up to this moment. It has shut itself in a shell and is refusing any meaningful dialogue with the outside world. It has exalted itself to a yardstick to measure and judge whatever exists beyond its pale. In this spirit, it is repudiating both morality and law.

Mundane Minority Politics

December 21, 2009

Had the constitution of 1973 existed prior to 1973 and been enforced in its true spirit, we would have had no Bangladesh! And most probably there would have been no violent movements in any part of Pakistan!

Contraception Won't Solve Climate Change

December 19, 2009

Rehash old fears and update them with the alarmist topic du jour--that's the recipe for the United Nations Population Fund's annual report this Wednesday dedicated to climate change. Its State of World Population 2009 correctly points out that poor women will be the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. But it focuses on old-fashioned population control instead of real ways to empower women against poverty and climate change.

Save The Poor From Climate Change

December 19, 2009

Cutting carbon emissions will not cut death and suffering. More than 75 world leaders meet in Copenhagen over the next two weeks to attempt an agreement on climate change. They should start by admitting the political and economic failure of the Kyoto Protocol: its prohibitive costs will prevent us from addressing other, more pressing problems.

Media Release: New Study Reveals The Importance Of Economic Freedom For Development In Pakistan

Market and policy integrated with rule of law can bring well-being to all

As economic freedom and well-being are shown closely related for all income levels, granting economic freedom should precede poverty alleviation programs

Lahore December 3, 2009: An empirical study of the two sample districts of Punjab (Bahawalpur and Sialkot), conducted by Ali Salman on behalf of the Alternate Solutions Institute, shows that merely guaranteeing social opportunities, which has been the mantra of almost all development practitioners (such as Amartya Sen) as well as aid granting agencies, and poverty alleviating agencies in Pakistan, does not lead to either well-being or freedom. In the absence of rule of law, all investments in the well-being end up decreasing freedom of individuals as well as of nations.

Githongo: Corruption, Betrayal And Hope (FreePakistan Newsletter # 108)

December 01, 2009

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