Fiscal challenges before Hafeez Shaikh
The reality behind annual growth of 16-20% in revenue collection of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from 2013 to 2018 remains untold. The facts reveal that behind the "extraordinary" (claimed…
Shaikh’s predicament
PRECISELY at a time when the government needs a fully functioning finance chief — whether adviser or minister — it seems the scope of the powers being exercised by Hafeez…
In Shaikh we trust
Musharraf ka yay yaar hai; ghaddar hai, ghaddar hai (He is a crony of Musharraf; he is a traitor, he is a traitor)! As finance minister Hafeez Shaikh unveiled the…
All things awry
WE have a new finance chief, and people are excited that it is a new face and one that inspires some confidence. Since 2008, we have had three names circulate…
Something’s gotta give
A FAMILY of four spent two months in the dark earlier this year in the small portion they rented. A husband, wife and two children, in Islamabad, spent these two…
Economic crises
WE face today our worst economic crisis in decades, with inflation at its highest since 1975. Such crises are a way of life for us with 25 seen since 1947.…
Three headlines, three crises
THE previous week began with high-profile UN meetings and international hobnobbing and ended with a judicial conference, audio leaks from the Prime Minister’s Office and an unsurprising change at the finance ministry. Stories were big and…
Hobson’s choice for PML-N
NOW that it is all quiet on the you-know-what front, attention is focused on the political chessboard. Imran Khan is in no mood to relent and is now trying to…
Karma and the economy
‘KARMA’ is a word adopted comfortably by those who speak the English language. So much so that there is a well-known phrase which uses the word. Rude and unsuitable for…
Elite finance ministers
“I COMPLETELY empathise and sympathise [with the people],” remarked Pakistan’s finance minister as the tax-loaded Finance Bill 2024 was passed by the National Assembly. In a country where more than…
