The goal was endless war
According to the terms of the Washington-Taliban agreement signed in Doha in February 2020, the US is bound to continue to fund Afghanistan during and after its withdrawal. But it…
‘Feels terrible’: Iran a year after US sanctions reimposed
Alireza says he used to dream of a better future in Iran and even saw himself getting a new car or house, but those days are now gone after he…
A spendthrift budget
Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented last Friday his fifth and presumably his and the PML-N government's last federal budget before the next general elections. There is not much to…
‘Aid-to-Afghanistan Consortium’?
Afghanistan is facing a severe economic downturn that could throw many millions into poverty and hunger, may generate a massive wave of refugees from the war-torn country and indeed set…
The FATF challenge
The importance of risk-based approach in curtailing the movement of illicit flows of funds is paramount. The significance of this approach is also stressed in recommendations of Financial Action Task…
Iran’s Guards seen economic winner from tougher Trump stance
Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a military force with political clout and an industrial empire, stands to benefit from heightened tension between Washington and Tehran, officials and analysts said.…
Afghanistan calculus
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan used to raise $2.8 billion in domestic revenues per year and spent $11.4 billion per year. Of the $11.4 billion in public spending, $5.6 billion…
Institutional autonomy in Pakistan
The recent kerfuffle about central bank autonomy in Pakistan is unraveling some basic fissures in Pakistan’s economy, confronting which our economic managers and political leaders have continually tried to ostrich…
Opportunities and risks for economy
Pakistan sees no immediate need for a foreign financial bailout as the nation is facing headwinds on its external front. The fundamental challenge being faced by South Asia's second largest…
Agriculture credit disbursement
It is good to see that private sector credit is picking up handsomely with the revival in economic growth and priority sectors of the economy are benefiting a lot from…
