Dr Nasir Iqbal
Dr Nasir Iqbal

The writer is the director of research at the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)

  • November 13, 2025

    Pakistan and the new Middle East

    The representational image of the Dubai International Airport . — Middle East Economy/FileThe global economic landscape is undergoing a profound...

  • November 13, 2025

    Pakistan and the new Middle East

    The representational image of the Dubai International Airport . — Middle East Economy/FileThe global economic landscape is undergoing a profound...

  • September 17, 2025

    Our AI decade

    A photo of a multi-sensor reconnaissance-equipped MQ-9A drone. — AFP/FileIt is the year 2035. In Punjab’s fields, AI-powered drones guide...

  • September 17, 2025

    Our AI decade

    A photo of a multi-sensor reconnaissance-equipped MQ-9A drone. — AFP/FileIt is the year 2035. In Punjab’s fields, AI-powered drones guide...

  • August 08, 2025

    The global trade race is on

    A container ship enters the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, US on Feb, 1, 2021. — AFP/FilePakistan has a history of dropped catches....

  • August 08, 2025

    The global trade race is on

    A container ship enters the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, US on Feb, 1, 2021. — AFP/FilePakistan has a history of dropped catches....

  • August 04, 2025

    Productivity or perish

    Pakistan has entered 23 IMF programmes, with the recently signed Extended Fund Facility programme securing another $7 billion in loans to avoid...

  • June 02, 2025

    Keeping business first

    As the federal government in Pakistan prepares to unveil Budget FY2025-26, we stand at a decisive moment when bold policy reforms are no longer...

  • April 28, 2025

    Can we register a business in 18 minutes?

    In these economies, streamlined digital business registration has catalysed economic growth, formalisation and innovation

  • April 05, 2025

    A budget for growth

    Pakistan can't afford another status quo budget so it must be budget of imagination, risk-taking and system-level thinking

  • February 19, 2025

    Crises? Not in 2035

    This change eliminated outdated civil service structure, replacing it with results-based governance model

  • January 06, 2025

    The year of a business revolution

    Government is determined to unleash full power of Reformistan’s economy and pave way for unprecedented growth, prosperity, and opportunity for all

  • December 17, 2024

    Rethink the university

    University leadership tends to equate success with more academic departments, larger student intakes, and grander physical infrastructure

  • October 15, 2024

    Building bridges

    SCO comprises a diverse group of nations, including China, Russia, India, and the Central Asian states

  • October 09, 2024

    Reimagining the poverty debate

    But perhaps the time has come to rethink how we approach this entire conversation

  • January 23, 2024

    A manifesto for reform

    It aims to guide new government towards a holistic transformation that addresses root issues plaguing Pakistan’s economic landscape

  • January 08, 2024

    Message from Reformistan

    Intent is to inspire constructive dialogue about comprehensive economic models and their potential impact on national development

  • September 11, 2023

    Wapda even not sparing mosques, worship places from paying taxes in bills

    Rawalpindi:Water and Power Development Authority even does not spare mosques in collecting inflated bills across country. The different taxes...

  • September 07, 2023

    Fixing fiscal policy

    Fiscal discipline and effective financial management are the cornerstones of a nation’s economic stability and growth. In Pakistan, however,...

  • July 07, 2023

    Charter of power

    Pakistan’s path towards development and the consolidation of democratic institutions has been impeded by various challenges such as policy...

  • June 28, 2023

    Path to prosperity: budget priorities

    The recently announced budget for the fiscal year 2023-2024 in Pakistan has sparked discussions among experts and stakeholders. The MacroPolicy Lab...

  • August 26, 2022

    Legalizing street business

    Pakistan has a large informal street economy occupied by individuals and micro-enterprises called street vendors , operating primarily in the...

  • July 06, 2022

    Business of the street

    The Haque model of inclusive cities advocated that cities should provide livelihood opportunities to all segments of society. Inclusive cities...

  • March 26, 2022

    Political economics

    The ongoing political protests and marches organized by opposition political parties and interest groups against the government have started a new...

  • January 16, 2022

    A new economic model

    The Covid-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to Pakistan’s economy and exposed the vulnerabilities of the current growth model of Pakistan...

  • December 18, 2021

    Fiscal federalism

    The stagnant fiscal space and mounting debt repayment requirements pose enormous challenges to long-run fiscal sustainability.Apart from budgetary...

  • October 05, 2021

    Education is key

    Since independence, numerous educational policies have been implemented to improve the education system of the country and achieve universal...

  • September 20, 2021

    Protection of Parsi cemetery from land mafia demanded

    Rawalpindi : President of Parsi Union of Rawalpindi Isphanyar Bhandara has demanded of the government to protect Parsi cemetery, tucked between the...

  • September 05, 2021

    Employment policy

    The Covid-19 pandemic caused a significant decrease in economic activities, leading to loss of income and unemployment. According to the...

  • June 02, 2021

    Enrolment matters

    The prevalence of child labour in Pakistan is very high, with up to 22 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 14 years in some provinces...

  • April 12, 2021

    The gender gap

    According to the ‘Global Gender Gap Report 2021’ published by the World Economic Forum , Pakistan ranked 153rd out of 156 countries on the...

  • February 18, 2021

    Tajir Group elected in union elections

    Rawalpindi : The Tajir Etihad Group elected unopposed in the election of Jamia Masjid Road union expanding from Banni Chowk to Pul Shah Nazar on...

  • January 05, 2021

    Following the Quaid

    Over the last seven decades, Pakistan has struggled to develop a comprehensive economic model to solve long-term structural and economic issues....

  • January 01, 2021

    AC (Saddar) takes charge

    Rawalpindi : New Assistant Commissioner-Saddar Rawalpindi Mahar Abbas Laral has taken charge here the other day.After assuming office, he said that...

  • December 22, 2020

    MCR’s anti-encroachment team seizes goods, carts

    RAWALPINDI: Under the direction of Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi CEO, an anti-encroachment team of MCR, led by Zaka Shah, conducted operation...

  • December 20, 2020

    Wheat price game

    In the last few months, the exponential increase in wheat prices adversely impacted the poor class's consumption pattern in Pakistan. On the one...

  • November 08, 2020

    Migration and Covid-19

    In the wake of a debate on the migration-development-security nexus, the situation of Covid-19 has put irregular migrants into greater...

  • October 21, 2020

    Cost of protest

    The PDM has kicked off a new season of political protests and marches to get rid of the ‘fake government’ responsible for inflation,...

  • April 14, 2020

    Cost of corona

    The Covid-19 pandemic has the potential to infect 40-70 percent of the world’s population.In Pakistan, initially it was mainly among people...

  • March 29, 2020

    Caring for the poor

    The Covid-19 pandemic has the potential to infect 40-70 percent of the world’s population. By this date, more than 1300 people have been confirmed...

  • March 18, 2020

    Sustainable housing

    The availability of affordable housing remains a nightmare for middle and lower income groups in Pakistan, despite the government’s ambitious...

  • March 14, 2020

    Doing taxes better

    The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics recently organized a conference, ‘Doing Taxes Better: Shifting the Paradigm on Tax Policy and...

  • January 03, 2020

    CPEC: phases and challenges

    The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is widely considered a turning point for both Pakistan and the region. It is an important stimulus for...

  • December 27, 2019

    No sitting arrangements outside kutchery, tehsil registrar offices

    Rawalpindi :The people have to face extreme sitting problems and are made to stand for long hours during getting their documents, including registry...

  • December 26, 2019

    Estimating poverty

    Poverty reduction is the main objective of the global agenda for sustainable development. The identification of the poor and the evaluation of the...

  • November 02, 2019

    The cost of the march

    Economic development does not depend only on economic factors but also largely on non-economic aspects like institutions, political system and...

  • June 23, 2019

    Inclusive industry

    The industrial sector is a catalyst for higher productivity, innovation, employment generation and exports. No country can achieve and sustain its...

  • February 07, 2019

    Time for a rethink

    The PTI government convened the first meeting of the reconstituted 9th National Finance Commission on February 6 to discuss the strategy for a new...

  • February 01, 2019

    Banni traders forced to raze shops’ front

    Rawalpindi : The Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi authorities Wednesday forced eight shop owners to raze parts of their shops at the Banni Chowk...