Careem’s exit from ride-hailing market
In June 2025 Careem, the Dubai-based ride-hailing pioneer (now part of Uber), announced it would suspend its Pakistan operations on July 18 after nearly a decade in business. In a…
Reshaping the labour market
The government of Pakistan recently inaugurated the National Economic Plan (2024-29) under the name of ‘Uraan Pakistan’. The plan, among other things, envisages tackling unemployment and underemployment and creating one…
BISP, Riphah University to partner on market-oriented skill training
Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Senator Rubina Khalid met with a delegation from Riphah International University (RIU) here on Friday to explore collaborative opportunities for providing market-oriented…
Fed’s bumper rate cut revives ‘reflation spectre’ in US bond market
The Federal Reserve’s aggressive start of the easing cycle has rekindled inflation worries in the US bond market, as some investors fear looser financial conditions could re-ignite price pressures. Yields…
India’s exchanges spar for dominance in hot derivatives market
India’s top stock exchanges are luring investors with new products and lower fees as they battle for a share of the hot but fledgling derivatives market, in turn fuelling a…
‘Market of Fakes’ in Naples, capital of counterfeits and Camorra
As top brands like Gucci and Prada prepare to report billions in sales this month, luxury fakes on the streets of Naples are also yielding a jaw-dropping cash stream —…
Universities as supermarkets
Sometime ago I was sitting with a deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan when a vice chancellor (VC) of a public-sector university came to see him. After the…
Bond market’s newfound economic optimism may be shortsighted
In recent weeks, US bond markets have bought into the prospect of a “soft landing,” prompting some investors to question whether they are ignoring the risk that companies will run…
Misplaced mercantilism and the case for domestic markets
We are being told that the economy of Pakistan is in absolute free fall. Allegedly, the dominos of economic doom are in motion, and despite all our countless stopgap measures,…
Wall Street weighs job cuts as deals slide in battered markets
Wall Street bosses are in a bind about whether to cut investment bankers or keep them on staff in hopes of a recovery from a brutal first half. With risks…
