Saud bin Ahsen

The challenges in Pakistan’s power sector, coupled with the mixed achievements of privatization, both domestically and internationally, highlight that no single model can fully address Pakistan’s unique requirements. Pakistan’s socio-political dynamics, bureaucratic challenges, corruption, economic disparities, and urban-rural divide demand a tailored, hybrid approach to privatization that leverages global best practices while adapting to local […]

While the privatization of DISCOs in Pakistan has demonstrated potential benefits, several formidable challenges must be addressed to make this reform successful on a larger scale. These challenges are multi-faceted, encompassing regulatory, financial, operational, and socio-political dimensions. Moreover, many of these issues are not unique to Pakistan but are mirrored in privatization experiences globally, which […]

The power sector is a cornerstone of modern economies, essential for industrial growth, technological advancement, and improved living standards. However, traditional power sector models face significant challenges, including outdated infrastructure, rising demand, inefficient regulations, and environmental concerns. To address these issues, many countries have undertaken governance and policy reforms aimed at creating a more efficient, […]

Institutional framework gaps: Pakistan’s National Mineral Policy (NMP) 2013 aimed to forge a comprehensive institutional framework to revitalize the nation’s mineral sector, positioning it as a pivotal contributor to the GDP. Central to this institutional design was the envisaged partnership between provincial and federal entities, intended to drive mineral exploration, investment facilitation, and sustainable development […]

Legal framework gaps: In the realm of mineral exploration and development, the legal framework is a foundational pillar, dictating the operational intricacies and guiding the sector towards sustainable and responsible growth. The National Mineral Policy (NMP) 2013 set forth a roadmap that aimed to revolutionize Pakistan’s mineral sector. However, the transition from policy to practice […]

Pakistan is endowed with a wealth of minerals, from coal and copper to gold and gypsum. The mining and quarrying sector, employing over 200,000 individuals, contributes about 1.6 percent to the nation’s GDP. Given the sector’s evident potential, Pakistan introduced National Mineral Policies in both 1995 and 2013. These policies underscore the significant role of […]

The most difficult part as far as policy implementation is concerned will relate to the change envisaged in the Cultural-Cognitive domain. Policy has failed to consider this aspect of the policy and it’s going to be the factor which will hinder it the most in implementation of the policy. In the absence of public transport, […]

The second part of the op-ed series examines the rationale of the NCAP and offers a cost-benefit analysis of expected benefits vis-à-vis associated costs. The policy is primarily seeking a public good in the social policy domain by trying to resolve air quality issues in Pakistan in terms of the realization of health, economic, development, […]

Pakistan is the most urbanized country in South Asia and resultantly most hit by the urban air pollution which is damaging health and quality of life of people on the one hand and economy and environment on the other hand. In Pakistan, the entire population of more than 240 million live in areas with annual […]

Taking Latin America into consideration, general elections are scheduled to be held in Mexico in the first week of June 2024. Voters will elect a new president to serve a six-year term, all 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies and all 128 members of the Senate of the Republic. The country has almost 100 […]