2026-06-25-01-14

Pakistan’s export trap-I

Why a narrow, low-value and cotton-locked export base can no longer carry the economy Pakistan does not merely have... Updated 25 Jun, 2026 08:04am

2026-06-25-01-14

How AI can reshape Pakistani agriculture

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered mobile agents are rapidly emerging as a game-changing technology for Pakistan’s... Updated 25 Jun, 2026 08:05am

2026-06-24-12-52

Handling the lows of the high performers

He is so smart. He is over-smart. What a talent. What a pain. He is a star. He is an enigma. Talk about the “high... Published 24 Jun, 2026 05:52am

2026-06-24-12-52

Information deluge

Since the decade of the fifties the speed of technological advancements in the arena of communication is mind... Published 24 Jun, 2026 05:52am

2026-06-24-03-46

PARTLY FACETIOUS: Our Marco Rubio is Ishaq Dar

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” “Indeed so here is a restraining order.” “Don’t be facetious.” “OK how about... Published 24 Jun, 2026 05:52am

2026-06-24-12-52

When AI becomes the influencer

For years, communication professionals and brand strategists operating from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have... Published 24 Jun, 2026 05:52am

2026-06-24-12-52

Branch sharing – a productivity transformation in Pakistan’s banking sector

In Pakistan, branch costs are heavy and represent some 50-65 percent of total operating costs, excluding financing... Published 24 Jun, 2026 05:52am

2026-06-24-12-52

Pakistan’s fuel relief is real, but it’s not a reset

Petrol has fallen from Rs 415 to around Rs 299.5 a litre. That is genuine relief for Pakistani commuters, but it is... Published 24 Jun, 2026 05:52am

2026-06-24-12-52

A budget for difficult times and a world in flux

The Federal Budget 2026–27 arrived at a peculiar moment in global history. As Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb... Published 24 Jun, 2026 05:52am

2026-06-23-01-04

Features of federal budget FY27

The first article on features of the federal budget of 2026-27 was published last week, with a focus on the more... Published 23 Jun, 2026 05:27am

2026-06-23-01-04

The price of power

Pakistan does not have an energy crisis. It has a crime scene. The lights flicker — not because there is no... Published 23 Jun, 2026 05:27am

2026-06-23-01-04

A budget without a tax policy

The FY26/27 budget deserves credit for easing the disproportionate burden on Pakistan’s formal sector. Relief on... Published 23 Jun, 2026 05:27am

2026-06-23-01-04

SOE reform: the cost of flawed privatizations

This is the fifth article in an eight-part series on Pakistan’s SOE reform. The previous article examined the... Updated 23 Jun, 2026 07:56am

2026-06-23-01-04

Hemp denim and high-value apparel: the window for Pakistan is now

The establishment of the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (CCRA), together with the notification and... Updated 23 Jun, 2026 06:42am

2026-06-23-01-04

PARTLY FACETIOUS: Trump following our example in some instances

“So who is following whom?” “Well I am not sure, you could call it following but our high level team played a... Published 23 Jun, 2026 05:27am

2026-06-22-12-28

Charter of economy: a redundant concept

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar referred to the federal budget 2026-27 as “sagacious”... Published 22 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-22-12-28

Pakistan’s quiet jobs crisis

Pakistan’s economic stabilization has come largely through contractionary policy: tighter spending, higher interest... Published 22 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-22-01-04

Pakistan needs equity markets, not dynastic control

Pakistan’s problem is not only that the state owns too much. It is also that too many productive assets remain... Published 22 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-22-01-04

Beyond stabilisation

The federal budget has once again triggered the familiar national conversation. Analysts are debating tax measures,... Published 22 Jun, 2026 05:36am

2026-06-21-12-15

Building next chapter of Pakistan-China cooperation: Beyond friendship

The celebration of the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China is far more than a... Published 21 Jun, 2026 02:30am

2026-06-22-01-04

Markets maintain optimistic outlook

On Friday, June 19, the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced that the planned technical and follow-up discussions had... Published 22 Jun, 2026 06:04am

2026-06-20-12-38

Islamabad’s diplomatic moment

As Washington and Tehran turn a page on decades of hostility, Pakistan stands at a rare geopolitical crossroads.... Updated 20 Jun, 2026 05:47am

2026-06-20-12-38

Football fever

It is unusual for the sporting fans of Karachi to be interested wholesale in any sport other than cricket but then... Updated 20 Jun, 2026 05:48am

2026-06-20-12-38

The robots are not waiting

“The inhabited world is run by whoever holds the instruments of production. When those instruments move, power moves... Updated 20 Jun, 2026 05:57am

2026-06-20-02-16

PARTLY FACETIOUS: Trump deserves commendation

“Trump has done what no other US president dared to do.” “Indeed and that includes Obama, Clinton, and Bush all... Published 20 Jun, 2026 04:57am

2026-06-19-12-34

Finance Bill 2026: Extraction cannot deliver!

Every Finance Bill is presented as an instrument of reform! Governments speak of documentation, broadening the tax... Published 19 Jun, 2026 05:50am

2026-06-19-12-34

Reflections on federal budget FY27—I

In line with the overall economic policy, the important thing for a budget is to employ its tools – revenue and... Updated 22 Jun, 2026 08:34pm

2026-06-19-12-34

Cotton: high hopes, limited resources

To place the entire blame for the decline of cotton solely on research institutions is perhaps one of the greatest... Published 19 Jun, 2026 05:50am