A new social contract
We are told that Pakistan is facing serious threats at its eastern and western borders – and indeed it is a reality that the situation on both fronts is serious.…
The ignored social sector
Despite all tall claims of politicians about working for the welfare of the people, it seems nothing has changed for regular citizens in decades. In fact, the situation is the…
Economic and social survey for Asia and the Pacific 2017: Effective governance key to economic growth
The Asia-Pacific region's high and steady economic growth has been an anchor of stability for the struggling world economy in recent years. Developing economies of the region now account for…
Poverty and social protection
Last week I met with some senior officials of an international financial institution at the Cabinet Division in Islamabad. We discussed, at length, some core issues related to poverty alleviation…
Invest in institutions of the poor
In my previous article, (‘How does poverty alleviation work?’), published May 25, 2019, I promised my readers to provide some deeper analysis of poverty reduction programmes and their management at…
Education and social justice
In the 9/11 commission report it was recommended that Pakistan should be given more financial support in order to improve its education sector. There was a concern that madressahs were…
The institutions of Pakistan
The new government's task is indeed humongous, demanding a herculean task force to manage the dwindling state of economy and multiple state governance issues. While the new government is expected…
Developing institutions
Most of us can perhaps easily recall the numerous lectures on the importance of building institutions for purposes of good governance, and democracy being the system best suited to deliver…
Aid, institutions and frameworks
Over the last one decade, Pakistan has registered very low and volatile economic growth. The economy grew with an average rate of 3 percent between 2008 and 2018, ranging from…
Natural disaster, social catastrophe
Pakistan’s economy is vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Pakistan, in 2016, stood at the fifth highest in the list of countries facing climate risk, according to the…
