Articles

This article argues that judging rulers on the basis of their individual qualities or the circumstances of their lives is inconsistent with the norms of governance; what needs to be judged, in the first instance, is that whether they uphold the rule of law or not. Obviously, it is rule of law that is the greatest supporter of ordinary people and have-nots. Hence, one who plays with the rule of law, one who defies it, one who makes a travesty of it, never deserves any sympathy be he Saddam Hussein or someone else!

According to the Fraser Report, "the key ingredients of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and protection of person and property. ('Along with formulating and implementing policies consistent with these ingredients')...economic freedom also requires governments to refrain from many activities.

Over a period of five years between 1999-2004, the government of Pakistan spent Rs.1 trillion on poverty reduction. According to the Finance Ministry, Poverty Reduction Special Programme included budgetary and non-budgetary expenditures both by the federal and provincial governments.

In a country like Pakistan where welfarist and socialist thinking is dominant, where state is perfectly omnipotent, where every person is a committed statist, where individual, his freedoms and responsibilities are considered a luxury, and where the concept of free market is dismissed outrightly, isn't it surprising, and fortunate enough, too, to have a free marketeer who has written various books and articles on free market philosophy. And, isn't it surprising and unfortunate enough, too, that there is no publisher to print his books.

In 2004, the Pakistani government placed an order for a luxurious Mercedes Cardiac ambulance at a cost of more than 13 million rupees (about $225,000). The vehicle, first of its kind, will be used exclusively by a select group of VIP patients in the capital, Islamabad. No doubt the privileged few will include civil and military bureaucrats and so-called representatives of the people.

The institution of government was founded to protect the life, liberty and property of citizens from the usurpers be they individuals or conutries. Or, what purpose could or does it serve? Surely, people did not and do not need somebodies to rule them? But, with the passage of time, various ambitious individuals, elites, representatives of this or that class, and organized political/religious parties, monopolized it to rule the people, to regulate their lives according to their philosophies, ideologies, visions, wishes and tastes. Thus, the institution of government started losing its rai-sons d'e-tre.

It has been 15 years since an Indian cricket team completed a tour in Pakistan. But a new spirit of reconciliation has gripped the two countries recently. The renewal of this sporting fixture is the first tangible triumph of talks between leaders of the two countries that began at January's South Asia summit in Islamabad. Make no mistake: for the people of these cricket crazy countries it is a gesture of the utmost political and diplomatic significance.
 

If you do not create a free market, a black market will emerge. This is the motto of the Lithuanian Free Market Institute. In this article, I shall try to show that the system of market economy works best to fulfil the people's quest for happiness by providing them free choice to meet their needs.

The system of market economy works best to fulfill the people's quest for happiness by providing them free choice to meet their needs.