2026-10-19-12-10

Our cities are not allowed to grow up

Part two: the housing policy speaks the language of dense, vertical cities, and leaves out every reform that would... Published 19 Oct, 2026 02:10am

2026-10-18-12-41

Learning from China’s economic philosophy and policy — XIII

In terms of counter-cyclical policy approach adopted by China, especially in the second phase for enhanced economic... Updated 18 Oct, 2026 05:23am

2026-10-18-12-40

The Karsaz tragedy: A history written in the blood of democracy

Some tragedies become etched into the pages of history in such a way that no storm of passing time can erase them.... Updated 18 Oct, 2026 05:28am

2026-10-17-01-11

Another round of Gulf insecurity

The respite after the Iran war has failed to restore strategic stability in the Middle East. Renewed Saudi-Houthi... Updated 17 Oct, 2026 07:35am

2026-10-17-01-11

Crime in the digital age

There was a time when travellers feared the open road. In eighteenth and nineteenth-century, looters raided... Updated 17 Oct, 2026 07:36am

2026-10-17-01-14

The evolution of CSR to ESG and IFRS standards in Pakistan

Sustainability reporting used to be simple. A company could plant trees, fund a school, publish glossy photos in its... Updated 17 Oct, 2026 07:39am

2026-10-17-01-14

PARTLY FACETIOUS: Imran Khan is to be deported by the Modi govt

“Hear ye, hear ye.” “That’s really old school.” “What?” “Proclamations.” “How come?” “Well we don’t need criers in... Published 17 Oct, 2026 04:52am

Education without learning

• Pakistan's education crisis stems from deep-seated over-regulation and political control, stifling school autonomy and hindering the nation's ability to build an AI-ready workforce

Published 16 Oct, 2026 01:44pm

2026-10-16-01-05

Extraction & POL price fixing

Bottom line first, Pakistan’s current petroleum pricing mechanism is no longer an energy policy instrument; it is a... Updated 16 Oct, 2026 10:11pm

2026-10-16-01-05

Learning from China’s economic philosophy and policy — XII

Here it needs to be understood that in order to have an overall supportive investment-friendly environment in China,... Updated 16 Oct, 2026 10:25pm

2026-10-16-01-33

PRAL in, FBR out

Having engaged with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for more than four decades from both internal and external... Updated 16 Oct, 2026 05:51am

2026-10-16-01-33

PARTLY FACETIOUS: The taxpayer’s money

“There is a need for the Prime Minister to set up a committee….” “There are so many already, why not task one of the... Published 16 Oct, 2026 05:31am

What waiting costs us

• Economy had been paying since the day long march was announced

Published 15 Oct, 2026 06:23pm

In La-La Land, dollars are mangoes

• IPPs were the biggest daylight robbery in Pakistan's history

Published 15 Oct, 2026 02:00pm

2026-10-15-12-35

Trump’s war, oil’s rules

Brent crude is trading above $108 a barrel despite a substantial recovery in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz,... Updated 15 Oct, 2026 06:51am

2026-10-15-12-35

A housing policy that forgot the questions—I

Pakistan’s new housing policy never asks what the state should do in housing, or why our cities cannot grow up. The... Updated 15 Oct, 2026 06:52am

2026-10-15-12-25

From millions of rooftops to one virtual power plant

It is a bright summer afternoon in Pakistan. The sun is high, the rooftop solar panels are producing at full... Published 15 Oct, 2026 04:57am

2026-10-15-01-27

Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence and Maryam Nawaz’s Educational Vision

Education is every child’s fundamental right, and the state is responsible for educating every child. It is also the... Updated 15 Oct, 2026 07:14am

2026-10-15-01-40

PARTLY FACETIOUS: When you engage in politics there are always consequences

“Is citizen arrest legal here?” “Why? Who do you want to arrest?” “Why must you take every question I ask... Published 15 Oct, 2026 04:57am

Rebuilding fiscal justice: a Zakat-based alternative to Pakistan’s tax trap

Pakistan’s tax system has been a constant source of public frustration. Governments come and go, each promising to... Published 14 Oct, 2026 07:12pm

2026-10-14-12-45

Old claims, new tariffs

Pakistan’s ten electricity distribution companies, known as DISCOs, have asked the National Electric Power... Updated 14 Oct, 2026 05:55am

2026-10-14-12-45

Close neighbour, distant market: how Pakistan lags behind in Dubai’s eateries

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) represents one of the world’s most lucrative food import corridors. With less than 1... Published 14 Oct, 2026 04:31am

2026-10-14-01-36

Removing administrative roadblocks from Pakistan’s tax system—II

9- Time-Bound Certificates for Share Transfers Involving Non-Residents Problem Transfers of shares involving... Updated 14 Oct, 2026 06:05am

Under the guise of being ‘authentic’

“Honesty does not pay.” “Being direct is unwelcome.” “My boss does not like truth.” If ever there was a... Published 13 Oct, 2026 09:19pm

2026-10-13-01-49

High incidence of poverty

The World Bank has recently released an estimate that Pakistan accounts for nearly half of the poverty in the MENAAP... Published 13 Oct, 2026 05:04am

2026-10-13-01-49

Removing administrative roadblocks from Pakistan’s tax system-I

Practical reforms can ease the burden on documented taxpayers, improve confidence and support business without... Updated 13 Oct, 2026 06:37am

2026-10-13-03-08

Emergency powers and federalism: a constitutional analysis

Having seen on Sunday the 11th of October that the Cabinet assembled and passed a controversial act of imposing... Published 13 Oct, 2026 06:11am

2026-10-13-01-53

PARTLY FACETIOUS: The governor’s rule plus emergency

“There is a disconnect between the rulers and the ruled.” “If you are trying to say that Governor’s rule plus... Published 13 Oct, 2026 05:04am