Muhammad Aftab

Pakistan is inviting $ 200 billion worth of investment in energy. The dividends will be high, that is for sure. The task is to tackle the grievous energy crunch, one that has made industry, business, the people and even the government its hostage. Experts underlined the gravity of this situation at this week’s Oil and […]

No respite in lending rates? Rather than a reduction, the inflationary pressures caused by huge budgetary deficits being generated by the government, the fear was that the benchmark discount rate (DR) would go up. Mercifully it did not. What does it amount to? The central banking has, once again, failed to cut high cost of […]

It is not a story of gloom and doom all the way. Despite slowdown and several negative economic indicators, Pakistani business has some bright spots. Entrepreneurship and foresight are leading the way for some of the best booming industries and businesses. I call it a word of cheer. And, we as a nation need a […]

Despite the continuing business slowdown and the energy crunch, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows are improving. Is there anything significant to note on the policy front as the government staggers on without much vision? This is a big question mark. If it were not hanging like a sword on the economy, things would have been […]

The deepening energy crunch is hitting industrial output badly, and has been singled out as the key culprit. Is this not a wake up call for the government and all stakeholders? At the same time, high interest rates and costly credit is seen as the second most serious problem that has hit industry. Woefully, the […]

An IT rebound and cellular spike, projected in 2011, will attract considerable foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic investment, industry surveys show. It will also mean better service and more jobs, something Pakistan direly needs Both the IT industry and cellular telephones are coming out of a three-year trough that was impacted by the global […]