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…
Poverty, politics and riches
In January every year, the elite almost from every walk of life – politics, business, academia, multilateral institutions, and philanthropy – gather in the Swiss village Davos for deliberations on…
Positive signs, are they?
Recent developments suggest that global political leadership has finally accepted the economic disparities that now engulf this planet. Frustrated by legislators' inaction throughout 2013 over the rising income disparity all…
The solution to power woes
Pakistan's current energy crisis remains one of the country's most pressing - and immediate concerns. Citizens suffer from continuous power cuts and inflated electricity bills - and there is little…
Investors distinguish EM credit from FX risks
The emerging markets currencies sell-off has intensified this week but not every asset class is in a doom-and-gloom scenario. In the emerging bond markets at least, investors are taking a…
May the miracle survive
The composition of the negotiating teams by the government and the TTP and the TTP’s declared agenda require reflection. First, the composition: there is no woman member. As the exclusion…
——The case for a transparent pharma pricing policy
There is a long-held belief among the general public that the prices of essential medicines in Pakistan are higher than other countries in the region, including India and Bangladesh. There…
Funds for policing
The Sindh government has decided to purchase 300 armoured vehicles, costing Rs6.5 billion, for the police. The decision reflects the government’s resolve to invest more in policing. There is no…
Too little, too late
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government has finally indicated it will use force against select bands of the local Taliban militants after months of indecisiveness and inaction. The mantra of peace…
Curse of the IEDs
Pakistan has been in the grip of brutal and senseless attacks by militants using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for some time now. In the latest attack, 27 security personnel were…
