The OGDCL’s $80 million bid saga in Uch
The bid for a compression plant in Uch has become a bone of contention with current and former officials of the company lobbying for different groups
Track-and-Trace troubles
Track and trace is one way to counter our tax collection problem. But it only scratches the surface
Political patronage and victimisation: Medialogic and the TV ratings story
With the ban on Medialogic, advertisers and broadcasters now have no access to any television ratings. But why was the company banned in the first place?
What does it mean to ‘Reimagine’ Pakistan?
The ideas behind the platform are neither new nor radical. But they are still important
Pretty outside, ugly inside: How Pakistani banks window dressed their books to avoid new taxes
Government orders banks to either start lending to the private sector or pay higher taxes. Banks do neither, in the process set many new records, and yet get away with it
How and why the census has far reaching implications on policy making and politics itself
While the 2023 census has not yet concluded , it is set to redefine the demographics of the country, and will be more meaningful than previous ones
Has the ‘Peoples’ Bus Service fallen prey to the people’s representatives?
Why would management of a provincial public transport project be given to a federal company responsible for producing telecommunications equipment?
The year of the landa bazar
One trader’s loss is another’s profit
How a bad economy derailed a move towards apartment living
Inflation has wreaked havoc on commodity prices making highrise building projects almost unsellable
Uncompetitive and short in supply. The tragic and avoidable undoing of Pakistan’s cotton crop
As output falls with each passing year, the industry faces a bleak future
The Return of the King
An unseasonably cool March has put Pakistan’s prized mangoes back on the map this year. But at what cost?
The fool’s fuel plan?
In another world, in a country not so close to the brink, and with a lot more time the fuel cross-subsidy may have had a shot. Right now it is a case of bad timing and bad planning
Jahangir Siddiqui will soon own two banks. Not everyone is happy
From legal technicalities to outright accusations of white-collar crime involving big business, as well as the regulators, JS Bank’s bid to buy BankIslami has many detractors. But will any of this be enough to stop the transaction from taking place?
Descon’s long-play
One of Pakistan’s largest conglomerates has quietly entered the agricultural sector. But they don’t just plan on selling salt and drying vegetables. They want it all
Between a saint and a shrine: The curse of Bahria Icon Tower
Launched in 2009, the Bahria Icon Tower has constantly fallen prey to messy legal problems. With no buyers in sight, how long will the tower remain a ghost-town?