Corruption matters
Few issues irk pious Pakistanis more than political corruption. Stories of corruption, even unproven, drive the pious into frenzied rage. Demands for ruthless accountability, even utilising unconstitutional means if necessary,…
Accountability
Discretion and no accountability equals corruption. That is Dr Robert Klitgaard’s formula (Klitgaard is the world-renowned anti-corruption guru). And the formula’s applicability is global – wherever there is discretion sans…
Squandering away opportunities?
There are no two opinions that the present regime had inherited an extremely fragile economy in June 2013. It inherited a nervous private sector, declining investment-both domestic and foreign-slower economic…
The take-home from IMF loan
Immediately on assuming power in mid-2013, the government rushed for an IMF loan to stave off a default when depleting foreign exchange reserves of US $11 billion covered less than…
Saudi Arabia-Iran spat: Challenges to Pakistan’s mediatory role
Can Pakistan play a meaningful mediatory role in ironing out Arab-Iranian rift? For a country to undertake a mediatory mission it must have strong credentials with effective diplomacy, robust economy…
Deceptions vs realities
The visit of the World Bank Group (WBG) President Jim Yong Kim last week was significant in one way; while for security reasons IMF officials meet Pakistani officials in Dubai,…
Misery and microfinance
Just as 2016 was taking its first nascent breaths, news was released about the imminent establishment of the Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company. According to newspaper reports, this new institution would…
Solar – the better alternative to overcome power cuts
Energy is the first and foremost necessity of life on the earth, which the sun is sending out to our planet free of cost since its creation. Most often it…
Russian opportunity
Pakistan-Russia Inter-Government Commission (IGC) will be meeting next week for a 4-day deliberation for promotion of bilateral trade and business leaving behind decades of mistrust. This meeting marks the warming…
With no one at helm, Portugal faces instability and strife
In the Portuguese town of Almada, Communist activists are handing out leaflets that bear the hammer-and-sickle logo and triumphantly proclaim: "Government destroyed, victory for the workers' struggle". It seems like…
