Payment due: Pacific islands in the red as debts to China mount
Just over a decade ago, deadly riots in the capital of Tonga, Nuku'alofa, destroyed much of the small Pacific nation's central business and government districts. Out of the rubble, the…
Foreign aid or export-led growth?
Pakistan’s total public debt rose to Rs36.3 trillion, which is equivalent to 87 per cent of the GDP, by the end of the previous fiscal year, and is anticipated to…
Foreign economic assistance report
The recently released Annual Report on Foreign Economic Assistance for the year 2019-20 is a welcome addition to official data sources. However, it hides more than it reveals; and is…
Foreign aid: a curse?
The economic team of the PTI seems to be engaged in chest-thumping after getting the nod from the IMF for $1 billion to steer the country’s storm-tossed economy towards ‘boom’.…
Foreign policy imperatives
Pakistan has lacked a pragmatic and well-articulated foreign policy since 2008. What is more worrying is that the PML-N led incumbent democratic dispensation displayed an outright reluctance to appoint a…
By-elections and foreign loans
Random thoughts During the last few weeks we witnessed tremendous political activity due to by-elections in Punjab. All eyes were fixed on constituencies NA-122, NA-144 and PP-147. NA-122 became vacant…
Foreign debt burden at heart of Russian economic worries
Looming debt repayments by Russian companies are now central to discussions of Russia's ability to weather the financial shocks caused by low oil prices and Western sanctions, but the picture…
Recognition of foreign judgements and insolvency
Whether or not one should make a claim against the insolvent counterparty's estate one has to navigate a complex domestic legal landscape to determine the fact particularly where there are…
Tax haven for foreigners
Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan always endeavours to create environment for foreigners conducive to their comforts and satisfaction through applying soft, simple, relax and straight terms and conditions and…
Repaying our debts
At a recording last year for a PTV programme on the state of the economy, Gen Hamid Gul, a fellow co- panellist, argued for the repudiation of Pakistan’s external debt,…
