Smoke, mirrors and state assets
The Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions Act, 2022 (the 2022 Act) was enacted last year and has been recently put into effect by granting a concession for certain berths at Karachi Port…
Cash-strapped Egypt sells state assets to Gulf nations
Egypt, sapped dry of dollars despite a $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout loan, is seeking to boost its coffers by selling state assets to wealthy Gulf nations. Experts say…
Assets not liabilities
A few days ago, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated in a nationally televised programme that Pakistanis should not be allowed to have dual nationalities. The minister opined that the…
Struggle between state and society
State and society are two distinct institutions. Eroding this distinction opens the doors to state intervention in personal, family and social relations and to loss of individual rights and protection…
State Bank’s blind spot
IN its latest State of the Economy report, the State Bank has an interesting chapter on inflation dynamics in Pakistan that is worth a close read. It is an ambitious…
Not personal assets
“AS public servants, we have a duty to uphold the highest standards of integrity, and that includes being transparent about any gifts we receive,” said Justin Trudeau, prime minister of…
Rethinking strategic assets
The term ‘strategic’ is mostly used in military connotations, although its literal meaning translates into key or crucial. Oxford English Dictionary describes it as “a plan of action or policy…
From ideological to functional state
Soon after terrorists attacked a Pakistan Air Force base in Mianwali, Pakistan lost four soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, in a firefight with terrorists in the Tirah Valley. The Pakistan…
A state of many cases
‘Never a dull moment’ is a cliche, even more so for Pakistani politics. How could we have a dull moment when there is a steady stream of cases and audio/video…
Safe-havens and risk assets both rise as banking woes shift Fed expectations
Worries over the banking crisis are boosting disparate assets, with traditional safe-havens such as gold, Treasuries and money markets seeing high demand along with more speculative instruments such as tech…
