Growth vs development
Jagdish Natwarlal Bhagwati, professor of economics at Columbia University in New York, isn’t known for modesty or patience towards his critics. In 2004, he got a chair in Indian political…
Enhancing tariffs: New Energy Policy – III
There is news all round that the power tariff is being increased by 30-70%. We only hope that such a large increase in tariff would not be done abruptly and…
The village
What socio-economic changes have taken place in the last two decades in a typical village in Punjab and what have been the major drivers of such changes? What are the…
Failings of the State Bank
All over the world, central banks perform three main functions. First, they formulate and conduct monetary policy with the objective of keeping monetary expansion and inflation under control, and channelling…
Learn from the Hungarians!
In our article 'Allying with tax evaders', Business Recorder, January 25, 2103, we mentioned that "while our government and parliamentarians during the last many years have been busy in extending…
FBR: new chairman, old challenges
Of all the federal government institutions, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is, rightly or wrongly, considered as the most incompetent, inefficient and corrupt. Even if it is merely a perception…
Sovereignty – the task ahead
The people of Pakistan have given their verdict - PML (N) in Punjab, Balochistan and the Centre, PTI and JI in KPK and PPP and MQM in Sindh. Once again…
Profit – the finale
It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for…
Tainted love
ALL rise, the Court of Chaudhry is in session. Now prostrate yourself before the court and beg its forgiveness, for the CJ is nothing if not kind and benevolent. Sinners…
The urban present
Soon after the 1998 census results were made public, Reza Ali, an urban planner and researcher from Lahore, wrote a path-breaking article called ‘How urban is Pakistan?’, in which he…
