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Syed Khawar Mehdi

Syed Khawar Mehdi

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Article 140A: The Constitutional Lollipop Of A Half-Baked Democracy

Article 140A: The Constitutional Lollipop Of A Half-Baked Democracy

Pakistan’s debate on local government has reached a point where a familiar question is no longer enough: do we believe in devolution? Almost every...

previous day 50

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Article 140A And The Trust Deficit In Local Government

Article 140A And The Trust Deficit In Local Government

A recent exchange with Syed Mustafa Kamal, Federal Minister for National Health Services, made me revisit an aspect of my recent article in The Friday...

28.09.2026 20

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

A Presidential Republic, Devolved To The People: The Case For A System That Can Govern Pakistan

A Presidential Republic, Devolved To The People: The Case For A System That Can Govern Pakistan

Pakistan does not need a stronger ruler. It needs a stronger system. For nearly eight decades, Pakistan has changed governments, constitutions,...

24.09.2026 30

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

From Karachi To Pakistan: The Case For Devolution, Accountability And Local Democracy

Karachi is not merely a city in crisis. It is a warning about the consequences of a governance structure that has become too centralised, too...

25.08.2026 40

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Pakistan's Diplomatic Ascendancy: Managing Crisis In An Age Of Global Disorder

History rarely announces the arrival of a new diplomatic actor with fanfare. More often, states rise in influence gradually through a succession of...

24.06.2026 80

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

How Economic Vulnerability Shapes Pakistan’s Global Choices

Pakistan’s foreign policy has often been described in grand strategic terms: geostrategic relevance, regional balancing, Islamic solidarity,...

11.05.2026 750

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Pakistan And The Architecture Of Controlled Stability

In the aftermath of a fragile yet consequential ceasefire—one in which Islamabad is believed to have played a discreet but meaningful role—a...

15.04.2026 70

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Pakistan’s Strategic Moment: From Geography To Managing Disruption

Pakistan stands at a moment that is easy to misread. Across our wider region, instability once again dominates the conversation—energy uncertainty...

01.04.2026 80

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

The Brutal Clarity Of Deterrence In A World Without Illusions

08.01.2026 70

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Ghosts Of Empire: The Roots Of The Durand Faultline - Part 4

17.11.2025 50

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Water under siege

17.11.2025 80

The News International

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Ghosts Of Empire: The Roots Of The Durand Faultline - Part 3

13.11.2025 80

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Afghan Strategic Expectations, Pashtun Politics, Taliban Reality & Pakistan’s Misplaced Hopes - Part 2

12.11.2025 70

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Mirza and the lost republic

12.11.2025 70

The News International

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Ghosts Of Empire: The Roots Of The Durand Faultline - Part 1

11.11.2025 70

The Friday Times

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Mirza, Ayub and the IWT

22.09.2025 60

The News International

Syed Khawar Mehdi

Mirza, Ayub and the IWT

15.09.2025 70

The News International

Syed Khawar Mehdi