Our December issue was hitting the press when just out of the blue, a sudden period of uncertainty descended on Pakistan. The Supreme Court...

Shahid Zaidi’s amazing collection transports us back, in a time machine, to a different era to relive memories of a nation that show a lost aristocratic past through its collection of photographs.

Since 9/11, Pakistan had suffered hundreds of terrorist attacks across all its cities. An estimated 70,000 men, women, and children perished - at times 100 in a day. But yet nothing had prepared a nation of 200 million for the savage brutality that was on display in Army Public School, Peshawar, on Dec 16, 2014.

A policy expert reviews the process of the politicization of Civil Services in Pakistan since 1947 from Her Majesty’s service to service of the “Khadim-e-Aala” and “Quaid-e-Mohtaram.” He sets out the importance of each arm of the state playing its role and gives a brief overview of Dr. Ishrat’s Hussain’s proposed reforms.

GVS welcomes Dr. Christian Turner CMG, the new British High Commissioner to Islamabad. He was announced as a replacement to outgoing High Commissioner, Thomas Drew, in August, he finally joined in December.

Captains of Pakistan’s Industry continue to delay the implementation of this essential law but given growing awareness and demands of regional integration and the need for international standards they don’t have much time before it becomes inevitable.

General Secretary of All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association, Awais Chaudhry, says that implementation of Axle Load is mandatory to protect infrastructure and lives. He believes it will save billions of dollars.

Askari Cement's Manager Sales & Logistics Abbas Khan says the government no longer looks serious about implementing the axle load limit. He suggests that if the government decides to implement the policy, then it should do it in two or three phases over the next couple of years so that a balance can be maintained by the cement industry.

The author draws attention to the dire situation of Pakistan’s railway sector. He evaluates how to improve the institutional performance of Pakistan Railways and argues that it is essential to reduce road traffic, especially in light of climate concerns, which has profusely been adding to air and noise pollution.

Former Ambassador to Bangladesh looks at the sad saga behind the breakup of East & West Pakistan through the lens of examining what happened to the major characters involved during and after that period.

A prominent journalist and a vocal member of Pakistan’s Christian community looks at how PTI has backed out of pursuing changes to the archaic Victorian Christian marriage and divorce laws. He argues that hopes of the Christian community in Pakistan now lie with the PPP in Sindh.

The writer shares her and a fellow American blogger’s traveling experiences in Pakistan while clarifying misconceptions about the country. She believes Pakistan has taken a monumental leap from the narrative of past decades with the help of the security forces.