Pakistan: an Egypt in the making?
The International Monetary Fund's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme design for Pakistan (July 2019-September 2022) is uncannily similar to that for Egypt (November 2016-2019 with the last mandatory review held…
IMF loan a bitter pill: the bitter truth
Pakistan is a perennial borrower of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reflected by the fact that in our 72-year history the ongoing programme is the 23rd with an average duration…
The winter of Discontent
The incoming winter of 2019 may be heading towards a winter of discontent as opposed to the winter of 2018 when expectations with respect to the newly-installed Khan administration were…
FBR: more sinned against than sinning?
People use choice words to describe the FBR but let's just call it dysfunctional. It is inefficient and customer unfriendly, spends more on itself than what it collects, and is…
Pakistan: an Egypt in the making?
The International Monetary Fund's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme design for Pakistan (July 2019-September 2022) is uncannily similar to that for Egypt (November 2016-2019 with the last mandatory review held…
Driving to liberty?
I met Inaam Bacha and his wife Sumera in Thana City – a beautiful leafy town surrounded by beautiful mountains in Malakand District. It was inspirational to have a conversation…
Of continued uncertainty and market bedlam
Briefing the media on decisions taken during the cabinet meeting this Tuesday past Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhary stated that Finance Minister Asad Umer would soon present a comprehensive economic…
Asad Umer’s Round Two
Finance Minister Asad Umer has been consistently right when he accuses the previous administration of leaving behind an economy in shambles but been consistently wrong in claiming success through giving…
Fire fighting yet to start!
Federal Finance Minister Asad Umer is the seventh finance minister engaged in fire fighting in a decade (since 2008) however the fire's intensity has not abated. This however never stopped…
Lessons not learnt
Some important lessons can be learnt from the Pulwama attack in Indian occupied Kashmir. One, there will be no lasting peace, trade or even normal neighbourly relations between India and…
