Our social policy choices
Pakistan is an emerging democracy that has tremendous potential to overcome its political and socioeconomic problems. The democratic process over the past decade has helped improve Pakistan’s image as a…
Divided on social policy
Arguably the poorest people in Pakistan tend to be found more in the camp of the PPP than of the PML-N or PTI. The latter, going by popular perception, seems…
Modi’s religious nationalism as foreign policy
The unprovoked air attack launched by a hegemonic and Hindutva-driven India against Pakistan in the early hours of May 7 and its subsequent hostile acts against the latter’s sovereignty and…
A broken social contract
Power is amoral. It has no religion, either. It listens only to those it feels threatened by. So, how can a country deliver social, economic, and political empowerment to its…
Zakat as non-state social welfare
THE last few years have proven to be immensely difficult for low-income households in Pakistan. High rates of inflation and low economic growth have exacerbated poverty and heightened the importance…
Climate-smart social protection
PAKISTAN’S social protection system is at a crossroads. Traditional social protection systems, while providing critical support for poverty reduction, are not designed to address the compounding challenges of climate-triggered disasters. The country’s…
Political audit of Afghan policy
THE latest clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces are yet another sign of the deepening rift between the two neighbours. Just three years after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul — a moment that…
Subtracting fake news from social media
In an age where truth seems negotiable and subject to multiple interpretations, lies and fake news travel at lightning speed. Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reveals a…
Govt, IMF, and need for policy revisit
In March, the government and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are due to hold first review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, which was negotiated in September 2024. There are…
Time to end neoliberal monetary policy well overdue
‘This chapter has shown that the NMPC [New Monetary Policy Consensus] is limited in four important ways. Firstly, it is based on doubtful assumptions, unwarranted generalisations, overly optimistic expectations about…
