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Silencing the stage

The Punjab government's decision to impose a lifetime ban on theatre artists and dancers accused of ‘obscenity’ is an alarming throwback to the state's long history of suppressing cultural expression.…

Politics and economics

This is the first of a two-part series focusing on the symbiotic relationship between politics and economics, with existing literature focusing more on domestic policies premised on globalization representative of…

Trump’s economic nationalism

Right-wing populist Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the 2024 US presidential election is expected to fuel a resurgence of economic nationalism in the US. The 21st century has witnessed a…

IT boost for economic growth

Total world trade in IT services crossed $1 trillion in 2023 – and it is growing. IT services are now 14 per cent of all services trade, a big jump…

Rethinking agriculture for economic revival

In the last many weeks, I have written in these pages to share ideas for addressing the dire challenges faced by our economy. The government of Pakistan has a choice:…

Geo-economics over geo-politics

The strategic shift from geo-politics to geo-economics is a welcome initiative. In a world where the relative importance of a nation is determined primarily by its economic strength, the focus…

Backstage of a fratricidal war

THE first anniversary of the intra-Slavic war in Ukraine — of family members murdering each other to the applause of an imperial Coliseum — is as sombre an occasion as…

Geoeconomic pivot

FOR nearly two years, the subject of geoeconomics has been discussed in Pakistan’s academic and official echelons. In an article published in this paper in December 2021, this writer had…

Economic renaissance for KP?

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is distinguished by its immense natural potential. Yet like other provinces, it currently faces significant challenges across economic, social, security, and political domains. Amid societal polarization and…

Export ambitions vs economic realities

While the Government is seeking a 100% increase in exports over the next three years, maintaining even the current level would be miraculous given current economic policies that fail to…