Critical aspects of IMF programme
The government is finally going to the IMF. This is the right decision though one wished it was done without so much hesitation and loss of precious time. However, this…
Trump and the Iran deal
‘Pacta sunt servanda’, which ensures the sanctity of treaties, lies at the heart of international law and inter-state relations. By walking out on the July 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of…
Towards a human economy
We can redefine underdevelopment as a condition that constrains the full potential of society from being actualised. This occurs when there is a systematic denial of opportunities to the majority…
The roots of Iranian discontent
All along it has been a road strewn with enormous difficulties. Since his first election in May 2013, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has carried the hopes of millions for both…
Rafsanjani death a blow to Iran reformers as Trump presidency looms in US
The death of former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani deprives Iran's reformers of a powerful ally, boosting anti-Western hard-liners before a presidential election which will determine how open Tehran is…
Sood
A while ago Thomas Piketty's book, "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" took the world by a storm; if memory serves correctly it was initially acclaimed as the economic book of…
Debt will choke Pakistan
We have taken on debt and continue to take on more so recklessly that it is now getting to be beyond our power to service. The old legend used to…
Iran’s global banking problems deepen with rise of Trump, Brexit
Britain's vote to leave the European Union and the rise of US presidential nominee Donald Trump have paralysed efforts by Western governments to encourage already highly reluctant international banks to…
Governance – more failures exposed
Last week witnessed some events which will have far-reaching consequences for the integrity of the state. While the parliament finally passed the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, a NAB court honourably acquitted…
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…
