Decades on, families of Lebanon’s war missing see hope
As Lebanon marks 44 years since the start of its civil war on Saturday, families whose loved ones disappeared during the conflict hope they might finally get some answers. The…
Finland populists eye election upset as anti-immigrant feeling rises
In the remote, northern Finnish town of Oulu where he has lived for seven years, Syrian-born Jabo Waleed recently started feeling that some people's behaviour towards him was becoming less…
PTI: forgotten promises
People of Pakistan in general and businessmen in particular are quite disillusioned with the performance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after seeing that prices of items of daily use (food, medicines,…
Marriage market disequilibrium
WHY are countless educated Pakistani women single? Gary Becker’s economic theory of marriage can provide an answer. A Nobel laureate, Becker revolutionised family dynamics by applying economic principles to marriage…
Discos’ death spiral
PAKISTAN — where the sun shines nearly 3,000 hours a year — is experiencing a solar revolution like never before. With 22 GW of solar panels imported in the last…
Rise of far right
EUROPE has been marching rightward for some time, with voters in France, Portugal, Belgium, and Austria following this trend. Germany’s election results continued this trajectory, as Friedrich Merz, leader of…
Is all well?
IT’S been a good week for the government. It truly has. It completed a year with great fanfare (and advertising). There seems to be no immediate threat on the horizon,…
A year of misrule
AS the PML-N set-up marks one year in power today, I review its outcomes via a detailed framework that I have used for several past set-ups. It says the quality…
Beyond inflation: the hidden risks in Pakistan’s economic recovery
Pakistan’s economy is addicted to debt. Lavish government spending, recklessly financed through borrowing has resulted in a precarious debt trap, a depreciated rupee, escalating inflation, and an economy on the…
EFS: A critical appraisal
The Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) was introduced with the objective of fostering national exports and augmenting the inflow of foreign exchange into the country. By facilitating the export of cotton-based…
