It would not be incorrect to say that things came to a head in many ways for Pakistan in 2022. The year began with a sense of control and preparedness about the Covid-19 pandemic, even though there were hundreds of thousands of new cases across the country. Unfortunately, the political and economic scenario was not as optimistic. As the governments tried to negotiate kinder deals with international lenders, the economy took a nosedive. Inflationary pressure made ordinary people’s lives more difficult; businesses were stalled, leading to unemployment and poverty. It was a year of political unrest and instability, exposing the fragile moorings of our democratic system like never before. The legislature and executive struggled with a crisis of credibility, and the judicial overreach, instead of solving the ensuing constitutional and political crises, only made matters worse. Draconian colonial-era laws continued to be used, as generously as before, against political opponents throughout the year. Moreover, people’s rights to privacy and dignity were violated in the form of audio and video leaks, with no one taking the necessary steps to fix responsibility for undertaking this illegal invasion of privacy and seeking accountability from those found responsible for such acts. Resurgence of terrorism