US seeks to weaken global development finance efforts
The United States is seeking to weaken a global deal aimed at helping developing countries struggling with the impacts of climate change and other issues, an internal United Nations document…
Carbon levy: A fail-safe?
Despite decades of ‘reforms’, Pakistan has tragically failed to establish a pro-growth, anti-cyclical, and sustainable economic paradigm. This is primarily due to the overreliance on fiscal austerity and a flawed…
Message of amnesty
Fourteen hundred years ago, on the 20th of Ramazan, a remarkable event in human history occurred, which is still remembered today and has ever-lasting effects on humankind. The last Prophet…
Europe shifts gears for the Trump era
Barely a month ago, a phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin sent an unmistakable message across the Atlantic: the United States may not be there forever to keep…
The military-industrial takeover
The frenzy of military spending seems to have gripped several parts of the world once again. Numerous states are preparing to pour billions — if not trillions — of dollars…
A blueprint for structural reform
Before the February 2024 national elections, I had the opportunity to conduct an in-depth study of all previous elections in Pakistan. This research was published in book form a few…
Trump’s aid cuts imperil emerging market investment cash
The United States’ decision to freeze and potentially scrap its core aid agency jolted countries receiving its funding and could make it harder for emerging economies to attract private cash,…
Errant PM2.5
THE Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayan foothills straddling Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Pakistan are increasingly getting a bad rap as the global hotspot of air pollution. Home to over…
FBR’s anti-technology strides
“The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has become a significant barrier to the widespread adoption of QR code payment systems in Pakistan. FBR often sends notices to businesses when they…
The Trump doctrine: trade wars and tensions
The slew of political and economic measures announced by the Trump Administration has created an impression that the world is returning to an era of an insane protectionism and intense…
