Budget 2013-14
I was not disappointed by the budget 2013-14 - not because it contained any out-of-th-box thinking or indeed any reform measures that would have changed the economy's direction in the…
China in Balochistan: Election Outlook-XXI
Seen from Pakistan's perspective, China's presence in Balochistan could be a game-changer or a newly introduced element that changes the existing situation in a highly significant way. Not only does…
Choking funds to suppress dissent
Perhaps no other country has as complex a maze of laws and rules – that give arbitrary powers to the state – as India. And no other state has abused…
The railways as a metaphor
A Fortnight or so ago, the New York Times ran a long front-page piece on Pakistan Railways (PR) by its Pakistan bureau chief, Declan Walsh. Declan, a good friend and…
Indo-China relations
For quite some time, the Chinese top leadership seems to have made it a point – as much as is possible – to visit India and Pakistan back-to-back. In 2006,…
Managing energy
Prof James Trevelyan has rightly pointed in his article, ‘Pakistan has a bright energy future’ (May 31), that Pakistan can overcome its energy issues by rethinking its electricity distribution. I…
Tax proposals – II
Initial developmental efforts are generally marked by inflationary tendencies in an economy. Inflation, if uncontrolled, may thwart all development plans and bring misery to the poor. A reasonable degree of…
Power crisis
Needless to emphasise that the industrial and overall economic development of any country is inconceivable without energy security, which implies the availability of enough energy resources to cater for the…
Tax proposals – II
Initial developmental efforts are generally marked by inflationary tendencies in an economy. Inflation, if uncontrolled, may thwart all development plans and bring misery to the poor. A reasonable degree of…
Invisible enemy
Pakistan Information Security Association (PISA) recently held a Cyber Security Conference at Islamabad. This paper analyzes key aspects of the discourse, captures important observations and recommends action points for securing…
