Sub-imperialism of BITS
In the 1990s, newly industrialized countries (NICs) were pointed out as role models for developing countries. For the last few years, Brazil, India, Turkey and South Africa (BITS) have emerged…
A flawed monetary policy
The present governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, who assumed office recently after being a commercial banker through his career, defended his appointment as the head of the central…
More growth, more taxes – III
The realistic and correct working of tax gaps in Pakistan is not possible unless the quantum of loss of revenue of trillions of rupees caused by all governments since the…
The battle of Armageddon
The nineteenth century reformer, Jamal ad-Din Afghani (1838-1897), wrote, “Every Muslim is sick, and his only remedy is the Quran.” But to some writers in the west, notably the Irish…
Drought and change
RAINFALL figures over the last 100 years tell us that drought is no stranger to Thar. However, over centuries, Thari society has devised ways to deal with it. One is…
Political oligopoly
Oligopoly is a term used in economics to define the dominance of the market by a small number of large firms that can collude to control the supply and determine…
Why is Assam burning again?
Dubai eye Nation state and democracy are perhaps the greatest gifts of western civilisation to the world. The 20th century saw the crumbling of the colonial order across the globe…
A craven approach
The army chief’s speech on Martyrs Day about two weeks ago was addressed not only to the soldiers but indirectly also to the civilian government. It has been widely commented…
How capitalism threatens democracy
It’s a sign of the pathology of much of India’s mainstream media that it displays the rise of the speculative-trader-industrialist Hinduja brothers to the top of Britain’s (not India’s) billionaire…
The rise of circular debt 3.0
In June last year the government cleared Rs503 bln of outstanding dues of power-sector entities including IPPs, Gencos, oil and gas companies that had piled up due to short collections…
