Bank domination Commercial banks have become the easiest channel through which government finances its fiscal deficit. Published 11 Sep, 2026 07:43am
Folly of chasing exchange rate The exchange rate is just a symptom of how the economy is being run. Updated 25 Jul, 2026 08:30am
World Bank’s ‘magical discovery’ For decades, the World Bank championed decentralisation. Now that narrative has changed. Updated 13 Jul, 2026 07:51am
Public narrative vs silent reality Is the State Bank fighting inflation or financing government? Published 05 Jul, 2026 07:42am
Time to swap borrowing for equity For decades, the playbook for corporate success in Pakistan hasn’t changed. Published 31 May, 2026 07:45am
Rethinking black money Pakistan cannot grow if it continues to treat its own savings as suspicious. Published 22 Apr, 2026 08:17am
Narrative of large tax gap A large share of the tax gap is not evasion but policy. Published 11 Apr, 2026 06:07am
Why the poor reject education For many policymakers, education is not about learning outcomes but patronage. Published 01 Apr, 2026 07:06am
Managing Lahore’s balance sheet The result is a city that owns billions but behaves as if it owns nothing. Published 16 Mar, 2026 07:47am
Exiting IMF: change incentives The perks system lies at the heart of the country’s dysfunction. Updated 11 Feb, 2026 09:35am
Road to exiting IMF Most ‘exit plans’ suffer from a basic flaw which confuses aspirations with instruments. Updated 28 Jan, 2026 09:26am
Lessons from PIA’s privatisation The central lesson from PIA is that the real reform is not the sale itself but fixing the governance structure. Updated 03 Jan, 2026 08:54am
IMF report: light on substance A fundamental weakness in the report is the reluctance to admit the role of external agencies. Updated 01 Dec, 2025 09:41am
Industrial policy a relic Pakistan does not need more attempts at assisting, through subsidies and protection, industries which cannot stand on their own feet. Updated 12 Sep, 2025 08:56am
In defence of the informal economy Informality grows when the state fails to provide stability, justice and opportunity. Updated 18 Jul, 2025 09:14am
Folly of fixing the exchange rate Despite at least six major currency crises, the state continues to obsessively fix the nominal rate. Updated 04 Jul, 2025 08:57am
Bankers’ bonanza or policy blunder? Why do we want to give banks Rs87bn in the current budget for no real effort? Updated 27 Jun, 2025 09:12am
Reforming the civil service The old systems of governance do not equip bureaucrats with the required technical skills. Updated 31 Oct, 2024 09:39am
Inconsistencies and disconnects The IMF’s recommendations often seem aligned with abstract economic models. Updated 24 Oct, 2024 09:38am
IMF misses the mark yet again There is a misplaced focus on numbers, with an emphasis on revenue generation instead of the fiscal structure. Updated 18 Oct, 2024 09:51am
