Urgent need for deep economic policy thinking
China in the 1980s was quite similar to Pakistan in terms of economic orientation – mainly an agriculture sector, and one that was trying to industrialize, while keeping macroeconomic imbalance…
Rethinking Afghan policy
THERE is an immediate need for Pakistan to overhaul its Afghanistan policy, since the present one has failed to yield positive results. The Taliban regime in Kabul has not responded…
Rethinking policy
The 2018-2019 Economic Survey of Pakistan indicates that Pakistan has apportioned only 2.4 percent of its GDP to education sector; lowest in the entire region. Previously, during 2016-2017, only 2.2…
Rethinking our foreign policy
Epoch-Making changes have vastly reshaped our world. The structure of the world economy has been transformed beyond recognition. The information revolution and media explosion have expanded our consciousness about ourselves…
Rethinking the NFC Award
Every few years, the debate over Pakistan's National Finance Commission (NFC) Award resurfaces – and rightly so. The NFC Award is not just a matter of fiscal arithmetic; it is…
Policy issues in the EFF programme – II
In addition, lack of adequate regulatory capacity means that it is very likely, as has been the case in real markets, for example, agriculture, left to market forces without adequate…
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…
Rethinking aviation safety
Despite decades of progress in aviation safety (international air traffic reached record heights post-Covid and crossed five billion passengers worldwide), recent incidents remind us that risks remain. In the last…
Rethinking energy sector reforms
Recently, eight multilateral development finance institutions, including the Asian Development Bank and International Finance Corporation, wrote to key economic and energy ministers, warning that unilateral renegotiations of renewable energy Independent…
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…
