Onecoin: Cryptocurrency for the gullible
Our society seems to be fascinated with credulity and self-delusion. I first noticed this back in 2013, when “Engineer” Agha Waqar came...
Our unsavoury grocery trip
I remember my mother used to say, “Eat a good meal first and then go to the grocery store.” I learnt the...
Between a school and an ice-cream shop
How much does waiting in an air conditioned car cost when picking up your kids from school, and is there a better option?
Has economic turmoil placed the Pakistani businesses and startups on the back foot
The country's enterprising class appears to be growing more risk averse over time
Stocktaking of power sector challenges in NEPRA State of Industry Report
NEPRA released its State of Industry Report 2022 (SIR) on 30th September, 2022. This year's addition is particularly significant due to multiple...
Pakistan’s hordes of unskilled IT labourers
Most of Pakistan’s IT exports are based on low-value IT related services. Investment in the right education can change that
Fiscal Federalism
Let me start with a question. What does the first article of the Constitution say? Is it about Islam, democracy or fundamental...
Is the National Security Policy merely words on paper?
While recognizing the necessity and importance of the National Security Policy, we must focus on execution
Taken for a ride: Uber’s free ride wasn’t free after all
It was 9:07 pm and my thoughts raced like a tangled mess, loops of thread getting stuck at adjacent knots and reversing...
Hopium – II: How Pakistan needs to rethink its planning
Pakistan needs disruptive changes, a deregulated business environment, and SOE reform if its economy is to grow
Fiscal discipline: A comparison between PML-N and PPP regimes
Over a passage of time, it becomes important that we reflect into the economic performances of the PML-N and PPP regimes respectively...
The SIFC and the Dar problem
Pakistan has just had a close brush with Dar, but it seems that the worst is over. While Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif...
The opportunity cost of energy subsidies
A subsidy on fuel and electricity treats one-bike households the same as homes with multiple cars.
Bitter squeeze on the juice industry
A 20% excise duty meant to boost revenue is crushing the formal juice industry, hurting farmers, empowering unsafe informal players, and shrinking the tax base.
Exhausting the taxed
Pakistan has had a consistently low tax-GDP ratio for decades, staying below peer countries and barely touching 12 percent in a boom...