People, politicians and political space
When Imran Khan came to power in 2018 many hoped he would break the hold of the corrupt and inefficient two-party system, which had controlled Pakistan’s political space since 1988.…
The political is all personal
The political economy of Pakistan is shaped by a complex interplay of formal rules and informal deals among elites. It has become important to explore the role of political connections,…
‘Great misery’: Kuwait political crisis drags down economy
A seemingly never-ending political crisis is plunging oil-rich Kuwait’s economy into the mire, affecting basic services and causing mounting public concern. Despite its large oil reserves, hospitals and educational services…
Political entanglements
When the coalition government replaced the PTI-led government last year to clear what it called the mess created by the gross incompetence of Imran Khan and sheer misgovernance by his…
Fixing the taxation system – Part IV
Among many compelling reasons for further devolution to the third tier is that citizens in a local jurisdiction are found to pay more taxes as they see that these are…
Fixing the taxation system – Part III
One of the pernicious side-effects of a large dose of the federal divisible tax pool injected into the provincial finances is that the provinces have become slack in mobilizing their…
The year the hybrid system ended
What was the most important event of the year 2022? It was certainly not the ouster of Imran Khan’s government. The no-confidence motion that hunted him down was the consequence…
Political priority list
Our current discourse in the political arena revolves essentially around corruption, various court cases related to this or to contempt of different kinds, and most lately, the audio leaks that…
Pakistan’s pension system
The cost of Pakistan’s public sector pensions is borne entirely by the government and has witnessed a significant rise in total terms though not in percentage terms and, unlike salary…
A new political accord
Pakistan is now seventy-five. In these long years there were very few occasions when a genuine joy was felt by the whole nation. Few wins in cricket and field hockey…
