2026-06-23-01-04

SOE reform: the cost of flawed privatizations

This is the fifth article in an eight-part series on Pakistan’s SOE reform. The previous article examined the... Updated 23 Jun, 2026 07:56am

2026-06-23-01-04

Hemp denim and high-value apparel: the window for Pakistan is now

The establishment of the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (CCRA), together with the notification and... Updated 23 Jun, 2026 06:42am

2026-06-23-01-04

PARTLY FACETIOUS: Trump following our example in some instances

“So who is following whom?” “Well I am not sure, you could call it following but our high level team played a... Published 23 Jun, 2026 05:27am

2026-06-22-12-28

Charter of economy: a redundant concept

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar referred to the federal budget 2026-27 as “sagacious”... Published 22 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-22-12-28

Pakistan’s quiet jobs crisis

Pakistan’s economic stabilization has come largely through contractionary policy: tighter spending, higher interest... Published 22 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-22-01-04

Pakistan needs equity markets, not dynastic control

Pakistan’s problem is not only that the state owns too much. It is also that too many productive assets remain... Published 22 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-22-01-04

Beyond stabilisation

The federal budget has once again triggered the familiar national conversation. Analysts are debating tax measures,... Published 22 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-21-12-15

Building next chapter of Pakistan-China cooperation: Beyond friendship

The celebration of the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China is far more than a... Published 21 Jun, 2026 02:30am

2026-06-22-01-04

Markets maintain optimistic outlook

On Friday, June 19, the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced that the planned technical and follow-up discussions had... Published 22 Jun, 2026 06:04am

2026-06-20-12-38

Islamabad’s diplomatic moment

As Washington and Tehran turn a page on decades of hostility, Pakistan stands at a rare geopolitical crossroads.... Updated 20 Jun, 2026 05:47am

2026-06-20-12-38

Football fever

It is unusual for the sporting fans of Karachi to be interested wholesale in any sport other than cricket but then... Updated 20 Jun, 2026 05:48am

2026-06-20-12-38

The robots are not waiting

“The inhabited world is run by whoever holds the instruments of production. When those instruments move, power moves... Updated 20 Jun, 2026 05:57am

2026-06-20-02-16

PARTLY FACETIOUS: Trump deserves commendation

“Trump has done what no other US president dared to do.” “Indeed and that includes Obama, Clinton, and Bush all... Published 20 Jun, 2026 04:57am

2026-06-19-12-34

Finance Bill 2026: Extraction cannot deliver!

Every Finance Bill is presented as an instrument of reform! Governments speak of documentation, broadening the tax... Published 19 Jun, 2026 05:50am

2026-06-19-12-34

Reflections on federal budget FY27—I

In line with the overall economic policy, the important thing for a budget is to employ its tools – revenue and... Updated 22 Jun, 2026 08:34pm

2026-06-19-12-34

Cotton: high hopes, limited resources

To place the entire blame for the decline of cotton solely on research institutions is perhaps one of the greatest... Published 19 Jun, 2026 05:50am

2026-06-19-12-34

Arithmetic of neglect

Pakistan is a country of contradictions. It possesses nuclear weapons but cannot guarantee a child a functioning... Published 19 Jun, 2026 05:50am

2026-06-19-12-34

PARTLY FACETIOUS: Interior Minister wants the Foreign Ministry now?

“All hail President Trump.” “He is getting majorly trashed by the Israelis and the powerful and very rich Zionist... Published 19 Jun, 2026 05:50am

2026-06-18-12-34

Pakistan’s food system under threat

Pakistan’s food system is entering a period of mounting strain. What once appeared as a series of isolated... Updated 18 Jun, 2026 07:32am

2026-06-18-12-34

Economic stability or statistical satisfaction?

After a delay of nearly two hours and amid noisy scenes in Parliament, with opposition members raising slogans,... Published 18 Jun, 2026 05:37am

2026-06-18-12-44

Punjab’s welfare budget vision

Punjab’s Budget 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman in the Provincial Assembly,... Published 18 Jun, 2026 05:37am

2026-06-18-12-34

Pakistan cannot tax its future to pay for its energy past

Legacy energy liabilities must be separated from current consumption tariffs if Pakistan wants affordable power,... Updated 18 Jun, 2026 07:53am

2026-06-18-12-34

Why Pakistan needs credible minimum wage system

Pakistan’s economic debate is often dominated by fiscal deficits, IMF reviews, exchange rates, and inflation... Updated 18 Jun, 2026 07:45am

2026-06-18-12-34

How to build Pakistan’s energy resilience against another crisis?

On 28 February 2026, US and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iran under ‘Operation Epic Fury’,... Updated 18 Jun, 2026 07:50am

2026-06-18-12-58

PARTLY FACETIOUS: It’s the thought that counts

“It’s not generic therefore you cannot make a generic statement about it.” “Hey a gift must be appreciated. Haven’t... Published 18 Jun, 2026 05:37am

2026-06-17-12-48

Developing ownership among non-owners

There is no ownership. This is statement I hear over and over again. Whenever I conduct assessments of the biggest... Published 17 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-17-12-48

Beyond budget

Since my years of adolescence to till date, I have been witness to enthusiastic and passionate debates about the... Updated 17 Jun, 2026 06:42am

2026-06-17-12-48

Can budget FY27 help accelerate Pakistan’s digital growth?

Among the various sectors targeted for support in the federal government’s Budget FY2026-27, the information... Published 17 Jun, 2026 05:36am