What’s right?
Perhaps a lot. Certainly more Right than what’s wrong. Pakistan came into existence about 75 years back, which in the life of building nations is relatively short span of time.…
‘Homegrown’ macroeconomic framework
The recent medium-term projections by some of the major multilateral agencies have created a strong sense of apprehension about the future prospects for the economy of Pakistan. For example, the…
It is going to be the economy, stupid
Most of the discussion about the economy in the mainstream media in Pakistan suffers from a universal malaise that afflicts conversation everywhere: the infantilisation of discourse. In the infantilised discourse…
Foreign economic assistance report
The recently released Annual Report on Foreign Economic Assistance for the year 2019-20 is a welcome addition to official data sources. However, it hides more than it reveals; and is…
Budget speech 2021-22
The full text of budget speech of Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin that he delivered in the National Assembly on Friday, June 11, 2021 Bismillahir-Rehmanir-Rahim Mr. Speaker, 1.…
Our national priorities
The claws of corruption have engulfed us, and its force is getting stronger with each passing day. Although the incumbent government came into power with the slogan of eliminating corruption,…
The goal was endless war
According to the terms of the Washington-Taliban agreement signed in Doha in February 2020, the US is bound to continue to fund Afghanistan during and after its withdrawal. But it…
‘Feels terrible’: Iran a year after US sanctions reimposed
Alireza says he used to dream of a better future in Iran and even saw himself getting a new car or house, but those days are now gone after he…
A spendthrift budget
Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented last Friday his fifth and presumably his and the PML-N government's last federal budget before the next general elections. There is not much to…
‘Aid-to-Afghanistan Consortium’?
Afghanistan is facing a severe economic downturn that could throw many millions into poverty and hunger, may generate a massive wave of refugees from the war-torn country and indeed set…
