Fed keeps money pumping in last year of Bernanke’s term
Wall Street and Washington alike are asking whether Ben Bernanke will stay on in 2014, as the US Federal Reserve chairman persists in the final year of his term with…
Undermining the elections
In our own little world of feudal-colonial-authoritarian traditions, the aspirations for democratic values and institutions are evenly matched by a discomfort with both values and institutions. How deep is that…
Smart move on the eve of election
The internal Monetary Policy Committee of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was unanimous in its decision for keeping the discount rate unchanged and the Board conveniently approved that stance. The…
Of absurdity and tragedy
Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s sudden gush of ‘peace-mongering’ and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and the PML-N’s support for the same is one of those absurdities of life that are too deep for…
Technocratic turncoats
Turncoat or ‘lota’ is a familiar word for the people of Pakistan. It is a pejorative commonly used for our politicians who change parties frequently at the altar of ‘national…
Politics and the pipeline
The ground-breaking ceremony for the Pakistan section of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline last Monday was an event of high symbolic importance. It was designed to seal Pakistan’s commitment to finally…
A new IMF programme
The International Monetary Fund team is seemingly all set to revisit Islamabad soon armed with a new programme for our acquiescence, as we struggle to discharge our dues to them…
In times of uncertainty
The term “national security” is heard often but there is little comprehension of its integral component, the concept of national security uncertainty. This refers to the presence of ill-defined or…
Pipeline economics
A G00d deal of excellent comment has appeared recently on the geopolitics of the Iran-Pakistan (IP) natural gas pipeline. But what about the economics of it? Contrary to most expectations,…
To the barricades once more
Normal, everyday politics involving, more often than not, jockeying for position, transfers and postings, everyone desperate to make a fast buck can be as dull as ditchwater, and about as…
