The night sky over Pakistan was heavy with silence, broken only by the low hum of readiness. In underground bunkers, radar screens flickered with anticipation. On the tarmac, pilots strapped in, their helmets reflecting the red glow of runway lights. Across the nation, millions held their breath. And in that moment, one verse, long remembered, […]
Monetising the Carbon Footprints (Part III)
Recommendations: (a). The Accounting system needs to be simplified based on the Income statement format, instead of making deductions at both Net and Gross income stages, which will cause reconciliation problems due to the pendency of settlement of accounts. (b) Reduce bureaucratic delays by simplifying and streamlining the regulatory processes by clearly defining the roles […]
Monetising the Carbon Footprints (Part I)
Carbon Trading has evolved as a new concept in Pakistan for which no policy mechanism was available to reap its financial benefits before the formal approval of Pakistan’s debut carbon policy, termed as “Policy Guidelines for Trading in Carbon Markets 2024”. The Policy is a milestone for Pakistan, which enables it to step into the […]
Broken Harvest (Part II)
William Richard’s Trichotomy typically categorises policies into three main perspectives, which are regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive. The regulative aspects refer to the formal rules, laws, and regulations that govern the implementation and monitoring mechanism. The normative pillar encompasses the values, norms, and expectations that guide behaviour, including ethical standards and professional responsibilities. The cultural-cognitive aspect […]
Broken Harvest (Part I)
World Food Day 2025, celebrated this month with the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”, serves as a poignant reminder that agri-food systems today face extraordinary pressures from conflict and climate extremes to economic volatility and social inequality. An estimated 673 million people live with hunger, even as food waste, […]
Pakistan’s Auto Leap (2021-6) (Part III)
The policy declared the consumer protection as one of its cornerstones. It clearly spells out that the amount of down payment for booking a car should not be more than 50% of the total price. Similarly, if the vehicle is not delivered on time to any customer, then after the lapse of 60 days, the […]
Pakistan’s Auto Leap (2021-26) (Part II)
Implementation Mechanism of Auto Industry Policy (2021-2026) A cumbersome institutional mechanism is present in Pakistan to implement the auto-industry policy. As far as institutional setup is concerned almost nine institutions are linked to auto mobile industry in which eight institutions are state control entities while the last but not the least is an automotive association. […]
Pakistan’s Auto Leap (2021-26) — Part I
The transformation of an economy is contingent upon optimum utilization of resources in the most productive manner. Economy will move at maximum potential when conducive business environment is created through favorable and business friendly government policies. Therefore, an auto-sector transformation policy, based on the identification and resolution of contemporary challenges and addressing sectorial inefficiencies is […]
Breaking the Monopoly – III
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 […]
Breaking the Monopoly – II
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 […]