The Rs500 billion debacle
Power policy in this country has long been characterised by indecision, ad-hocism and inaction. In the rare case when action has been taken, ill-conceived interventions have had disastrous consequences that…
Do we need the Rangers?
Every state requires a border control force, normally a para military force. In Pakistan, the border control forces include: the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab and Sindh), Frontier Corps (Balochistan and KP)…
Privatisation or the sale of the century?
If the drain on the public exchequer was the reason for privatisation then the government should focus solely on privatising loss-making SOEs. So why then are profitable entities such as…
Privatisation or the sale of the century?
The regressive fiscal measures taken by the PML-N government in its first nine months in power make it abundantly clear that PM Sharif’s ‘most experienced’ team has no interest in…
The illusionists
Like a doctor examining a seriously sick patient, the IMF staff is supposed to evaluate the underlying conditions of the health of the economies of its member countries. While providing…
Governance in 2014
Part-II Corruption is not just a cost; it is a curse that deeply affects individuals as well as the state system. It is the single most important obstacle to economic…
Bourses a barometer?
On Thursday this week past Reuters published a story which reported an ongoing investigation after whistleblowers accused senior stock market staff of benefiting for years if not decades through unauthorised…
Historical burden
The phrase ‘abject surrender’ has been a recurrent feature of recent discussions on the Pakistani state. Not only has it come up in conversations concerning the state’s general inability to…
No room for khokhas
When I was growing up there were small kiosks (khokhas) all over Lahore. Vendors on bicycles and on foot used to hang around our houses and schools and offered us…
Zombie idea
THE government has announced a privatisation plan to sell off state-owned entities including ones that have `blue chip` status in the Karachi Stock Exchange. The argument given is that such…
