Syed Bakhtiyar Kazmi

Lately, visiting the State Bank of Pakistan website for updating myself on economic data is becoming nightmarish; having been sceptical for a long time about the benefits of free trade, it seems my worst fears seem to be materialising. I have always maintained that GDP as an economic indicator is a farce, which apparently means […]

As mentioned during last week’s Terminator edition, the World Economic Forum (WEF) issued the Global Risk Report 2017 (the Report) which basically is a summary of events that can cause significant negative impacts for several countries in the next 10 years. Frankly, the bigger risk is that many might not be able to make senses […]

Considering a particular science fiction franchise that originated from 1984 and continues to churn out sequels (with the fifth one released in 2015), it might be safe to presume that most readers are aware of the theme of the series, the notorious Skynet—artificial, or synthetic intelligence gone haywire, which is bent upon eliminating humans from […]

I am not sure whether or not Shakespeare is still part of the curriculum today, but almost everyone from before my generation, and thereabouts, will have at one time or the other read the Bard’s masterpieces. Albeit I must confess, while studying for the matriculation exams, The Merchant of Venice was more pain than pleasure. […]

Admittedly, the Game of Thrones (GOT) TV serial craze hit me quite late in the day, in fact as late as after the conclusion of the sixth season; and I might add that perhaps it still has not achieved crazy levels, since I remain ambivalent about watching the generally much awaited seventh season. Being a […]

Congratulations to all my fellow countrymen on the phenomenal and record breaking rise of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (the Exchange); the Index has passed the dizzying heights of over 46000 with no end in sight; may it cross 100000. All those associated with the Exchange cannot but help strutting around like banty roosters, peacocks if […]

Men in power resigning for any cause, and that too on moral grounds, in any developing country can unarguably be nothing short of mythopoeia. That bit of knowledge was never surprising, the fact that a large part of our literate society continues to believe in such myths, just because the Europeans used to do that, […]

Undeniably, debt is abominable. The one thing that will undoubtedly spawn a financial crisis is a debt; arguably perhaps the Devil’s most dangerous tool to wreck havoc and chaos on this earth. On the other hand, sometimes you have to borrow for constructive and productive reasons, debt is then a necessary evil. Those of us […]

Decades ago, Winston Churchill uttered these words, which have since become the mantra for those who stand to gain from the democratic system, “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said […]

Every time a simplistic version of an economic decision is flouted, it reminds me of Fredric Bastiat’s excellent paper titled, “That which is seen, and that which in not seen.” Economic decisions can have uncertain consequences, which even economists cannot predict or foresee. In fact, if economists were good at predicting anything, would they not […]