Saud bin Ahsen

The federal government of Pakistan sets revenue collection target of Rs 9,415 billion for fiscal year 2023-24. The budgetary targets are ambitious but achievable by exploring un-chartered territories. FBR has undertaken number of reforms and made automated its business processes in an efficient manner; it has also experimented simplified tax assessment but the tax to […]

Taxation is largely dependent on the nature of the economy and its direction of growth or otherwise. There are different measures for assessing an economic situation. It can be based on both economic indicators of some critical and strategic nature as well as on its ratings given by international rating agencies, such as Moody’s Investor […]

The federal government of Pakistan presented a federal budget of Rs14.460 trillion for the fiscal year 2023-24 on 09 June 2023, with the GDP target set at 3.5% and the fiscal deficit targeted at 6.54% of the GDP. The government has set itself a target of collecting Rs12, 163 billion in gross revenue receipts, out […]

When taking into account the existing cross-border railway connectivity of Pakistan, it emerges that at present Pakistan has very restricted original connectivity which is limited to India at Khokarapar, Wagha, Amruka & Chakamru. The railway connectivity with Iran is from Quetta to Taftan and Ziadan. Pakistan does not have a rail connection with Afghanistan and […]

A railway system is an ideal mode for bulk movement of freight cargo and passengers and the rail network of Pakistan comprises 11,881 km. Railways used to be the Government’s priority up to 1970 but it declined due to road development, which has political ownership. The railways have remained neglected by successive governments in the […]

Developing amicable relations with China has always been a common perception in Pakistan that transcends all political differences and enjoys a high degree of agreement. Both countries have maintained the momentum of close high-level exchanges, strengthened strategic communication and jointly led the direction of China-Pakistan relations. The month of May 2023 marks the 72nd anniversary […]

Would Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) provide a platform for discussion and the drawing of an eventual framework of cooperation on glacial issues? It seems that Russia is the only country in the North, which could theoretically provide resources for such projects, programmes and platforms. The rest of the member countries of SCO belong to the […]

Humans have coexisted with rivers for centuries; living on embankments and benefitting from their ebbs and flows to earn their living. Urbanization has created a wedge between the two. Integrated Watershed Management is all about learning to live with the rivers again. Relevant literature suggests that globally, nations are returning to integrated management of natural […]

Hindu-Kush Himalaya (HKH) communities have historically faced natural and climate-induced disasters, and have developed a level of cultural resilience based on traditional knowledge and practices. However, in order to address the increasing trend of GLOFs, the UNDP launched the GLOF Project with a $36.9M fund from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with the Ministry of […]

The Hindu-Kush Himalaya (HKH) region contains glaciers, like the polar region, and is sometimes euphemistically called the “Third Pole.” Spanning from Afghanistan in the west and Myanmar and China in the east, the region of around 3,500 kilometres, containing reservoirs of frozen fresh water, is also known as “the water tower of Asia.” The region […]