Irrelevant millions?
As former prime minister Nawaz Sharif prepares for his return to Pakistan next month after four years in exile, his party’s target for defining his successful re-entry to politics is…
Rebuilding the state
The inauguration of Justice Qazi Faez Isa as the new chief justice of Pakistan has brought hope to some – and inevitably dismay to others. It is true that Chief…
Power bills and public anger
The usual jargon was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on 27, Sunday, after an inconclusive emergent meeting was called in the aftermath of violent street protests in several cities…
Trade conundrum: who is at fault?
The July 2023 trade data indicates an improvement in the trade deficit – from negative 1.863 billion dollars to negative 1.607 billion dollars, a positive trend that was touted by…
Crashed economy
The upcoming departure of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government this month marks an opportunity to assess its performance – or lack of it – during a tenure of around fifteen…
Unaddressed economic challenges
The debate and anxiety throughout Pakistan in the aftermath of the stalled Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July 2019, ended unsuccessfully on…
Ah, but there’s the rub
An ‘Alhamdulillah’ moment it was for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif when Pakistan reached a nine-month $3 billion staff-level agreement with the IMF on Friday, the second day of Eid. And…
The Fund strikes back
It didn’t take long for the IMF (International Monetary Fund) to red-flag the budget, did it? Just as feared in last week’s column, it still wants the government to “do…
Why the country fails
It is apparent now that Project Imran Khan/PTI is being dismantled. Some commentators wonder whether the PTI was ever a political party. Others use the past tense for the PTI.…
FY2023-24 Budget
The government is expected to present the budget for the next fiscal year in the first week of June. Budgets in Pakistan have always been quite an event with lobbies…
