Navigating economic corridors
We are living in an era of ‘corridorization’, ‘economic corridor’ being the new buzzword. The proponents of these ‘corridors’ claim that they are vital for increasing regional connectivity and trade.…
Journey of economic revival
On April 19, 2022, I faced the most challenging day of my life when I took on the role of federal minister for planning, development & special initiatives. I was…
Connectivity conundrum
Six years ago, I landed back in Pakistan from London to take up a new journalistic assignment. The political chessboard was getting trickier by the day. Sharif loyalists had recently…
Economic dystopia incentivized
Can you guess what country has the world’s worst financial inclusion statistics? It is Pakistan. With 115 million unbanked adults (adults with neither a bank account, nor a mobile money…
Economic prospects of Gilgit-Baltistan : Part – III
The recent initiative taken by the Gilgit-Baltistan government to introduce STEM subjects right from the school level is highly commendable. This initiative is quite unique and far-sighted. Instead of the…
Economic prospects of Gilgit-Baltistan : Part II
Community organizations have built bridges, irrigation channels and other small infrastructure projects at much lower costs as they participated in the supply of labour and land parcels for these projects.…
Our geo-economic dream
Geo-economics is the new buzzword these days, thrown around rather loosely without quantifying its benefits, especially in a country like Pakistan which relies on a heavy diet of geopolitics and…
Covid-19: economic & tax reliefs
Pakistan is facing the brunt of Coronavirus outbreak as the country is in a partial lock down. This has had a negative impact on businesses. Initial estimates show that the…
STEM (ming) socio-economic stagnation
For a country like Pakistan which suffers from chronic shortages of capital, energy and technology, the three most important ingredients needed to achieve sustainable growth, its salvation lies in making…
Forging resilient regional supply chains and connectivity
Participation in global and regional supply chains has been one of the most reliable economic growth strategies, especially for developing countries in Asia and the Pacific. Smooth and efficient connectivity…
