1. Rigging Elections in Pakistan: A Guide 2. The scene is set. You are a new army chief about to preside over your first elections. You want an outcome that suits your political interests while maintaining a façade of democratic legitimacy that makes it easier to talk to foreign donors and 'allies' (not that they care).

On defections and 'leaving' politics - A thread. 1. Defections are not new to Pakistani politics and historically, politicians have defected from parties for a number of reasons. I discuss some of these below but first, it is important to acknowledge that a) defections DO weaken parties, and b) they CAN strengthen the military.

1. The end of the PTI government and the return to power of the PML-N and PPP has once again prompted a discussion of dynastic politics in Pakistan. This is an important issue that merits attention.

Dynastic politics in Pakistan - a thread. 2. Much of the discussion about dynastic politics focuses on the leadership of the PML-N and PPP, highlighting how the Sharifs and the Bhuttos have monopolized power and decision-making in their parties. There are a number of reasons why this can be problematic.

1. The Sehat Card has helped a lot of people and will continue to do so. Once introduced, welfare programmes are difficult to rollback and I think it would be a serious mistake for the PML or any other party to end this one.

However...

dawn.com/news/1684368 2. As I have argued in the past, there are a few problems at the heart of Sehat Card Programme that need to be addressed if it is to become sustainable.

First, by paying for treatment at private hospitals, it risks having the government pay for inflated healthcare costs.

Any party that wishes to build a more democratic and progressive Pakistan must do the following: 1. Take a principled stand against Establishment interference in politics. No more deals, no more reliance on Establishment support to attack and suppress rivals. The costs always prove to be too high

1. Like clockwork, #WeWantsPresidentialSystem is trending once again in Pakistan. The demand for a presidential system in Pakistan is not new, and has historically been linked to a desire for more a more autocratic form of governance. 2. It is not coincidental that Pakistan's previous experiences with presidential systems have taken place under dictatorships, and the narrative around them echoes arguments in support of authoritarianism; parliaments are inefficient and captured by vested interests, therefore...

1. There has been a lot of debate recently about whether it makes sense to support the JUI-F in it's Azadi March later this month. Some liberals and progressive have argued that doing so is necessary to put pressure on a government that is just a front for the military. 2. This concern for democracy and civilian supremacy is supplemented with two additional points; first, the incompetence of the PTI government necessitates opposition to its agenda and second, the PTI's own use of religion as a political tool justifies the opposition using it.

Thread: Prime Minister Imran Khan was right to raise the issue of Kashmir at the UNGA. He spoke forcefully about the oppression being unleashed on Kashmir by India, and has rightly worked to draw international attention to it. No other Pakistani leader has ever done this 1. Except Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in 2017.

1. What is happening in Kashmir is tragic and unconscionable. The people of Kashmir deserve our complete support and solidarity, and it is our duty to centre their voices and aid them however they feel is right and necessary. 2. Recently, some liberal and progressive voices in Pakistan have been criticized for qualifying their support for the Kashmiri cause by referring to Pakistan's own dismal treatment of ethnic and religious minorities.

1) They're called rose-tinted glasses for a reason. Many like to believe their favourite country/college/restaurant etc. was much better in the past. Often, the truth is that things were as bad as they are now, maybe even worse. 2) One of my favourite examples of this is Pakistan. People tend to say things went downhill after Zia. But the truth is that things were awful from the start; governments were being dismissed in the late 1940s, minorities were being attacked in the early 1950s...