This is part 2 of the 4-part series of articles about public policy formulation. In these four articles, we will examine the way policies are formulated, implemented and monitored, the steps involved and the activities to be performed in the various steps. It also lists the criteria to judge the efficacy of a policy and ends with the major weaknesses of policy formulation in a typical developing country like Pakistan.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://shahidhussainraja.wordpress.com/2021/10/31/public-policy-formulation-2-process-challenges/

Globalization, a multidimensional set of social processes that create, and intensify worldwide social, economic and technological interdependencies and exchanges, is a historical phenomenon affecting every country directly or indirectly. Despite all the occasional setbacks and resentment expressed against its different dimensions, globalisation is the march of history, which like the water flowing in a river, moves forward not backwards.

In this essay, I discuss the 8 drivers of its rapid speed after the 2nd World War.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://shahidhussainraja.wordpress.com/2021/10/13/8-drivers-of-globalisation%ef%bf%bc/

After remaining depressed for a year or so, Pakistan's Stock Market, always considered as one of the best-performing in the world, is again picking up. It came down from high 50,000s to low 30,000s and presently again moving towards 50,000s. It will soon regain its lost ground in the short to medium period and then move upwards in the long period. It is therefore right time to buy Pakistani stocks if you are interested in highly profitable returns in the medium to long term. This episode is also available as a blog post: 

https://www.shahidhussainraja.com/how-to-invest-in-pakistans-stock-market/

https://shahidhussainraja.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/how-to-invest-in-pakistans-stock-market/

Terrorism is a historical as well as a universal phenomenon, practised by every type of organisation, religious or non-religious, right-wing or left-wing. Consequently, the reasons for the terrorist activities are always subject to context, time and place. However, there has been an increase in terrorist attacks; Middle East, Asia, and Africa were most affected by terrorism.

As terrorism is a complex phenomenon, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific reason for its occurrence. A better approach is to determine the conditions that make terror possible or likely; most of these conditions have to do with the circumstances such as political, social repression, or economic strife. This 2-part article attempts to do that and suggests a comprehensive set of solutions to eliminate it. 

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://shahidhussainraja.wordpress.com/2021/05/22/global-terrorism-challenges-response-part-2/

Terrorism is a historical as well as a universal phenomenon, practised by every type of organisation, religious or non-religious, right-wing or left-wing. Consequently, the reasons for the terrorist activities are always subject to context, time and place. However, there has been an increase in terrorist attacks; Middle East, Asia, and Africa were most affected by terrorism.

As terrorism is a complex phenomenon, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific reason for its occurrence. A better approach is to determine the conditions that make terror possible or likely; most of these conditions have to do with the circumstances such as political, social repression, or economic strife. This 2-part article attempts to do that and suggests a comprehensive set of solutions to eliminate it. 

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://shahidhussainraja.wordpress.com/2021/05/22/global-terrorism-challenges-response-part-1/

The ideology of Pakistan is one of the most intellectually misunderstood and politically misused concepts in Pakistan. Some persons equate it with the Two Nations Theory which was the basis of the creation of Pakistan while others bracket it with Islamic Ideology. Both are not true.

This essay attempts to dispel the above myth by explaining the historical context of Pakistan Ideology with particular reference to its sources such as Islamic moorings, founding fathers' vision, and people's preferences as embodied in the constitution. It then highlights the main features of Pakistan ideology that is the bedrock of the statecraft as well as the way of life of the citizens of Pakistan

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://shahidhussainraja.wordpress.com/2021/05/08/pakistan-ideology-sources-content/

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://shahidhussainraja.wordpress.com/2021/04/17/pakistani-culture-sources-drivers/

Abstract

Although Pakistan is only a 70-years old nation-state, all its federating units are proud inheritors of thousands of years old rich cultural traditions However, slowly but surely, distinct Pakistani culture is emerging with its own peculiar ethnic Pakistani touch, encompassing a kaleidoscopic blend of individual cultures of various provinces, regions, classes, and communities. With contributions from diverse sources, indigenous and foreign, Pakistan's culture is naturally pluralistic reflecting the spatial diversity and historical trajectories of the country.

This podcast attempts to trace the multiple sources of its cultural heritage as well as the drivers of its changing nature.

According to the Theory of the Continental Drift, the Indian Subcontinent was , millions of years ago, part of a supercontinent, called Pangaea which broke into two mini supercontinents, namely, Gondwana and Laurasia . The Indian Subcontinent remained attached to Gondwana until it also broke into pieces about 125 million years ago. The Indian Plate then drifted northward toward the Eurasian Plate and started its journey towards present-day Tibet where it displaced the Tethys Ocean and created the Himalaya Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau in South Asia. This push, which is continuing, is causing parts of the Asian continent to deform westward and eastward on either side.

These geological developments have some serious implications for Pakistan and are discussed in this podcast

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://shahidhussainraja.wordpress.com/2021/04/07/geological-history-of-pakistan-its-relevance-for-today/