Rethinking Pakistan’s agriculture
THE climate change-induced rains of last summer left millions of people homeless in many parts of Pakistan. While it is correct to put pressure on the international community to pay…
A bolder policy framework
AS large parts of the economy grind into recessionary conditions, the clamour for policy focus on growth is increasing. However, the government’s policy mix is constrained under an IMF-led stabilisation…
Rethinking the United Nations
While the UN General Assembly sessions, held every year in September, provide world leaders with an opportunity to take stock of the state of the world, articulate their foreign policy…
Economic policy, federal budget and role of opposition
‘…the existence of the opposition is ‘nearly the most distinctive characteristic of democracy’. In parliamentary democracies, since government and parliamentary majorities often coincide, the opposition is expected to function as…
What’s the deal with our solar policy?
In the intricate dance between policy formulation and economic stability, the narrative of local investors and consumers emerges as a poignant tale of uncertainty and disillusionment. The saga surrounding net…
Need for revisit of deeply-rooted neoliberal economic policy mindset
In his visit to China, with PM and some other cabinet members, the finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, while addressing a ceremony in China highlighted that Pakistan will be going into…
Budgets 2024: thinking afresh
“Simplify taxes, reduce the cost of excessive documentation, open the economy for higher growth and employment, taxes too will increase”—Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Policy Viewpoint [16:2020] Doing Taxes…
Policymaking — to what end?
ONE critical challenge plaguing Pakistan is the tendency of its power elites to give priority to simplistic solutions to complex problems. Thoughtful approaches presented during policymaking are often disregarded in…
Rethinking strategic assets
The term ‘strategic’ is mostly used in military connotations, although its literal meaning translates into key or crucial. Oxford English Dictionary describes it as “a plan of action or policy…
Lessons from foreign policy management ( Part – II )
Foreign policy is not made in a vacuum or a stagnant pool. It is like sailing in an open ocean; you have to change gear and tact in response to…
