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Wednesday October 09, 2024
Dr Farrukh Saleem
Dr Farrukh Saleem

The writer is a columnist based in Islamabad.

  • October 06, 2024

    Hopeful horizons

    A representational image showing people walking through a market in Lahore. — AFP/FileIn September 2024, the Consumer Price Index dropped to 6.9...

  • September 29, 2024

    Ethereum

    Ethereum has approximately 120 million coins in circulation and market capitalization of about $312 billion

  • September 22, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Lost in time

    Pakistanis find themselves trapped in a time warp of political turmoil

  • September 15, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Force multipliers

    Gotham, Apollo, and Foundry are critical force multipliers, transforming the way military operations are conducted

  • September 08, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Future of finance

    Robo-Advisors, powered by AI, machine learning and NLP are dishing out automated financial advice and portfolio management services

  • September 01, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Authority structure

    Over the past 77 years, Pakistan has received more than $130 billion in loans, largely based on Pakistan's ‘authority structure’

  • August 25, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Beware the apps

    Widespread dissemination of harmful content on social media sites poses a threat to our collective well-being, and our ability to defend our country

  • August 18, 2024

    The glue of Pakistan

    Consensus among global experts is clear: Pakistan Army is not merely military institution but backbone of nation’s integrity

  • August 11, 2024

    Capital suggestion: China or US?

    US and China are engaged in a cyber arms race, with each accusing the other of hacking and disinformation campaign

  • August 04, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Power facts

    IPPs have never been audited by independent auditors to verify their billion-rupee claims

  • July 28, 2024

    Capital suggestion: East or West?

    Pakistan faces a persistent external financing gap, with projected funding needs consistently outpacing dollar inflows for the foreseeable future

  • July 21, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Beyond politics

    Pakistan operates under Westminster system, comprising three branches: the executive, the parliament, and the judiciary

  • June 23, 2024

    Unprecedented?

    An aeroplane of the Pakistan International Airlines is seen in this photo. — AFP/FileThe Pakistan Public Works Department originated in the...

  • June 16, 2024

    Corporate tax

    A pedestrian leaves the entrance of the headquarters of the Federal Board of Revenue building in Islamabad — AFP/FileFocus on growth, not taxes....

  • June 09, 2024

    Will the PM’s vision lead to action?

    PM Shehbaz Sharif addresses the Pakistan-China Friendship and Business event during his China visit on June 6, 2024. — PIDWe have had four...

  • June 02, 2024

    Our real strength

    A representational image showing a foreign currency dealer counting US dollars at a shop in Karachi. — AFP/File Are billions of dollars coming to...

  • May 26, 2024

    Spending disease

    Shoppers crowd at a market area in Lahore. — AFP/FileIt’s budget time. And that only means one thing-additional taxes. Currently, every...

  • May 19, 2024

    Big mistake?

    Electric power generating wind turbines and solar panels can be seen. — AFP/FileThe government of Bangladesh is implementing dozens of incentives...

  • May 12, 2024

    Partner with Riyadh

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia on April 30, 2022. — SPAAh, what a delight it is...

  • May 05, 2024

    Wheat: the solution

    A representational image showing farmers harvesting wheat crops in a field. — AFP/FileThere is a clear, lasting, and simple solution to...

  • April 28, 2024

    River of fire

    In this picture taken on April 16, 2023, people throng a market area during shopping in Lahore. — AFPCare to cast your mind back to May of 2023?...

  • April 14, 2024

    White elephants

    Crew members disembark from a Pakistan International Airways flight at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan.— AFP/FileIn Thailand, elephants are...

  • April 07, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Privatizing PIA

    Pakistan's state-owned enterprises have been a focal point of national discourse.

  • March 31, 2024

    Emerging optimism

    Stockbrokers watch the latest share prices during a trading session at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi on February 3, 2020. —...

  • March 24, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Growth strategy

    Pakistan risks drifting into a future where economic opportunities for its citizens remain constrained

  • March 17, 2024

    Capital suggestion: Managing the IMF

    Ministry of Energy must present the IMF with a comprehensive plan to improve efficiency and reduce circular debt in the power sector

  • March 10, 2024

    Privatization

    In this critical juncture, government confronts an undeniable reality: privatization is not merely an option but sole viable path forward

  • March 03, 2024

    PM’s roadmap

    Bank of America now believes that it is a good time to invest in bonds issued by Pakistan

  • February 25, 2024

    Finance minister?

    Can the party’s traditional economic model deliver in 2024

  • February 18, 2024

    Unity amidst crisis

    Our economic woes are screaming truth partisan agendas only deepen pain

  • February 11, 2024

    Heal the divide

    We are all confronted with significant challenges across various domains, ranging from economic obstacles to security concerns

  • February 04, 2024

    Budding bonanza

    Here is a partial list of countries that have legalized or decriminalized cannabis: Canada, Uruguay, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados,...

  • January 28, 2024

    Iran’s misery index

    Iran’s oil production has declined significantly, dropping from a peak of 6 million barrels per day to a low of 500,000 barrels a day in 2020 and...

  • January 21, 2024

    Multi-crises

    Multi-crises are the presence of several crises occurring simultaneously. A complex emergency is defined as a circumstance marked by multiple...

  • January 14, 2024

    From capture to fiction

    However, what adds intrigue to this situation is discernible operational paralysis exhibited by Indian military leadership in aftermath

  • January 07, 2024

    Privatization?

    There’s a bloodbath going on in our so-called Public Sector Enterprises . Is there a commercial entity in the world with assets of Rs150 billion...

  • December 31, 2023

    After the election

    Here’s pre-election scene 1: The government of Pakistan has undertaken some critical reforms including rationalization of gas prices,...

  • December 24, 2023

    Guarantor of stability?

    In recent months, Pakistan’s economic landscape has witnessed significant transformations through major global investments. Yes, prominent global...

  • December 17, 2023

    Capital suggestion: Reko Diq’s rescue

    How could a government – any government in the world – turn a hundred billion-dollar asset into an eleven billion-dollar liability? In 1993, BHP...

  • December 10, 2023

    Capital suggestion: Long-term leaders

    Mahathir bin Mohamad governed Malaysia for a combined period of 24 years. In 1981, when Mahathir assumed office as Malaysia’s fourth prime...

  • December 03, 2023

    Algorithmic warfare

    Military domination will no longer be defined by personnel strength. Military domination will no longer be defined by quality or quantity of...

  • November 26, 2023

    Capital suggestion: Industrial policy?

    Our industrial history is witness that status quo has favoured select few, leaving smaller enterprises grossly marginalised

  • November 19, 2023

    Military courts?

    The inside view of the Senate of Pakistan. — Radio PakistanThe Senate of Pakistan, the upper house of parliament, has endorsed a resolution...

  • November 12, 2023

    Cost of bad air

    A vendor carries balloons down a Lahore street amid heavy smog. — AFP/FileWere you aware that Pakistan experiences 40 million cases of acute...

  • November 05, 2023

    Act decisively

    Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. — APP/FlieThe caretaker government, with the backing of the establishment, has made a determined...

  • October 29, 2023

    Military courts

    Army troops stand guard in the "red zone" after the arrest of former PM Imran Khan. — AFP/FileTurkey has had civilian trials in military courts....

  • October 22, 2023

    Two parties

    Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari while meeting with the PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in this picture released on June 15, 2023....

  • October 15, 2023

    Capital suggestion: Shift the focus

    Much of the government's attention in Pakistan has been fixated on the rupee-dollar exchange rate. While this rate undeniably holds significance in...

  • October 08, 2023

    Capital suggestion: Cholistan Desert

    Here is a partial list of countries where their national armies play a significant role in the agriculture sector: China, Israel, India, Russia,...

  • October 01, 2023

    Capital suggestion: Minimal politics

    Fact 1: Presently, four out of every ten Pakistanis find themselves below the poverty line. Fact 2: Over the course of the past three decades, no...