Dr Hasnain Javed

Few topics in Pakistani politics are more discussed and less understood than the fiscal deficit. We constantly hear that reducing the deficit is crucial to our economy, but we rarely hear why. The deficit is blamed for a variety of economic ills, including high-interest rates, unemployment, the trade deficit, the low rate of national saving, […]

There is a constant discussion about Pakistan’s possible bankruptcy or a near default situation that seems to have subsided with the arrival of the new financial leaders in the country. However, I believe that we are still not out of the woods yet. Pakistan has been extremely fortunate with the benevolence of international countries as […]

The death of Queen Elizabeth II brought a wave of discussion about colonialism worldwide. While most jokingly mention the return of stolen treasures, the undeniable truth is that over two centuries, the East India Company and the British empire drained off at least $45 trillion up till their departure. While the British Empire existed from […]

For far too long, Iran has been seen in the light as an extremist Islamic state. In 1997, US-Iran relations turned for the worst after 52 American citizens were kept hostage for an entire year. The fate of Iran seemed to spiral out of control as the international community officially labelled Iran as the “sponsor” […]

We have a state, but it has no structure. We have all the institutions, but they also lack sound foundations. This makes me wonder that in the last 75 years, all we have done is make half-hearted attempts to find solutions on the surface without digging deep and trying to understand the real challenges we […]

I continue to scroll through newspapers to read about how the last 75 years of the country have been painted. There is a plethora of content on the political saga, the economic performances and the social marginalization. However, there is an integral theme missing in everything I have read so far about Pakistan’s 75-year journey. […]

Time and again, we reach a point in our economy, where the topic of privatisation emerges as a discussion of a concern. Once again the incumbent government expedites its plans to privatise State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) in an attempt to financially fuel the economy and release the burden on the country’s rising public debt. “There are two […]

In the previous part of this article, I emphasised the international aspect of oil supply and refinery capacity that may have led to its globally higher prices. However, the impact of rising oil prices on Pakistan can not be ignored. With a swindling political situation and looming uncertainty over the IMF loans, we are now […]

Oil is one of the most important commodities in the world, accounting for approximately 3 per cent of the gross domestic product. Petroleum products are found in everything from personal protective equipment, plastics, chemicals, and fertilisers to aspirin, clothing, transportation fuel, and even solar panels. Global fuel prices have continued to rise for the past […]

I believe what makes a country great is a thought from the past. As an economist, I don’t want everyone to focus on what could make a counter, but how can a country survive and thrive? As I sit here peeping outside the window of my hotel in California, I see the same economic and […]