Discos’ death spiral
PAKISTAN — where the sun shines nearly 3,000 hours a year — is experiencing a solar revolution like never before. With 22 GW of solar panels imported in the last…
Discontent in AJK
Last week, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) witnessed an unprecedented wave of protests led by local traders and activists. This movement forced the authorities to retreat from a proposed legislation…
Disconnecting captive power: balancing between costs and efficiency
The more one writes about Pakistan’s energy sector mess, the less it seems to cover. The latest issue involves the government’s commitment to the IMF to end captive power generation…
Inconsistencies and disconnects
THERE are contradictions in the policies being pushed by the IMF in the latest programme. While it played a crucial role in liberalising the economies of the communist bloc, it now…
Discos: privatisation can be a solution
Privatisation has long been touted as a catalyst for economic growth, and for good reason. By introducing private sector expertise and investment into previously state-controlled industries, privatisation can unlock efficiencies,…
Discontent below
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a Twitter space on local governments on a Sunday evening. As participation did not involve looking presentable or getting out of…
Inflation and its discontents
PAKISTANIS are experiencing the most severe cost-of-living crisis in their lifetime. Since April last year, official consumer price inflation has recorded a cumulative increase of 33 per cent (annualised). This…
Riven by discord
“IN a country riven by discord, the extent of disagreement among people, their political representatives and their media outlets feels simultaneously intransigent [and] untenable… . Not only are we bad…
Sedition and its discontents
WHEN charged with sedition by the British colonial government in 1922 for his articles published in a local magazine, Gandhi famously said: “Section 124A, under which I am happily charged,…
Autumn of discontent
THE recent leaks about the army chief’s meetings with politicians have generated a maelstrom. There have been some collective interactions with the political leaders but there were some private ones…
