How profitable is Islamic banking?

The perception of Islamic banking is that it takes advantage of people’s faith. How high are the industry’s profits, and where do they come from?

The bifurcation of payments

Electronic payments are gaining market share, but cash is not ceding ground either

Dear Google Wallet, welcome to Digital Pakistan

The party in digital payments in Pakistan is already here. The global tech giant appears likely to be less of a catalyst and more a participant in the rising tide of the digitization of the Pakistani rupee

The Engro restructuring

The Dawood family takes a more direct approach to their shareholding in Engro, saving on taxes they probably should not have had to pay to begin with

The dark side of Pakistan’s digital ‘masterplan’

The timing of the bill and the lack of data privacy legislation in Pakistan raises questions about the government’s intentions

Could the Airlink model be Pakistan’s Shining City on a Hill?

From its start as an importer, Airlink has been assembling laptops, tablets, and phones and significantly increasing their margins. What does it say about Pakistan’s economy?

KSE at 100,000: What does it mean for Pakistan?

At a time of political instability and a tentative economic recovery, the KSE-100 index has crossed a major milestone. What does the market's rally mean for Pakistan?

The case for the Ufone-Telenor merger

Why, counterintuitively, fewer competitors might mean better choices for mobile telecommunications consumers in Pakistan

The changing nature of Pakistan’s Establishment

We talk in Pakistan as though we have an unchanging establishment, dominated by the military. Reality is far more complex, and changing very rapidly, driven by a changing economy

Dear control-freak seth, welcome to the stock exchange

By introducing the dual-class shareholding structures, the Pakistan Stock Exchange – and the SECP – are hoping to attract the listing of companies whose owners want to retain tight control but do not mind sharing profits

The death of Pakistani feudalism

What was once the dominant force in Pakistan’s political economy is on its last legs. What comes next is not yet known

Drug price deregulation has come to Pakistan. What will this mean?

Companies can finally raise prices, which is likely to result in higher prices, but also likely to mean fewer shortages of essential drugs

The government of Pakistan’s word is worthless. What comes next for Pakistan’s energy sector?

If the entire energy supply chain is not privatized in short order, Pakistan will find its energy problems not going away any time soon

The TikTok economy

From a platform to dance on to a platform to grow one’s business on, the Chinese social media company has rapidly gained share as one of the biggest places for Pakistani small business owners to market their products and services

The free market comes to Pakistan’s wheat crop

The state has been procuring and subsidising wheat production since 1968, claiming it is for the good of small farmers. In reality, it benefits everyone but the growers