The World Bank said in a report released last week that the poverty rate in Pakistan stood at 40.5 per cent. That means about 100 million out of 240m plus Pakistanis are living on less than $3.65 per day as per the purchasing power parity of 2017. In simple words, 100m Pakistanis cannot use their daily income to buy today with what they could have bought with $3.65 in 2017. Hence, they are conside
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to swiftly end preferential treatment, tax exemptions and other protections for the agriculture and textile sectors, which it says have stifled the country’s growth potential for decades. In its staff report on the diagnosis of the factors behind Pakistan’s struggling economy, the IMF blamed these two sectors not only for failing to cont
In Syed Nagar near Alipur Chatta in the Gujranwala district, hapless families remain trapped in a cycle of polluted air, persistent foul odours, and low visibility, further worsening the already difficult lives of ordinary people. A proper evaluation of air quality in this area is necessary to confirm the pollution levels, but the air likely contains harmful particles and chemicals, putting res
Let’s be honest: battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or just pure electric vehicles (EVs) are hyped up everywhere, thanks to Tesla and the Chinese EV brands. People are talking about how they are the future, how they’ll save the environment, and how they’ll revolutionise car ownership. But here’s the burning question for us: Is Pakistan even ready for EVs, or are we chasing a dream that’s too big for
As Pakistan gears up to host the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Head of Government meeting, the event holds immense geopolitical significance for both the country and the broader South Asian region. The SCO, a multilateral organisation founded to foster cooperation on security, economic, and political fronts among its member states, has evolved to address issues ran