Finance: At a crossroad

Pakistan’s domestic politico-judicial crisis has seemingly reached a point of no return. The apex court wants to keep the democratic spirit of the Constitution alive, but differences between the top judges continue to add to political uncertainty. The Election Commission, too, is apparently not independent. Simultaneously, terrorism and militancy continue to grow in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, creating tougher challenges for the army and law enforcement agencies and placing an additional burden on scarce financial resources. Religious extremism and scant respect for the rule of law are evident across Pakistan, including in Sindh and Punjab — the home provinces of PML-N and PPP, the two main political parties that make up the current hybrid regime.