PAKISTAN is facing enormous macroeconomic challenges, as evident in its fragile balance-of-payments, weakening growth, and soaring prices. The new government is expected to quickly set about dealing with these issues. Its most pressing challenge is to formulate a longer-term financing plan to meet Pakistan’s growing external debt obligations, beginning with negotiations for a longer and larger
Pakistan’s polarised elections that followed nearly two years of unrelenting political turmoil and ongoing economic crisis have intensified uncertainty. That the manipulated outcome of this election would have serious consequences for the future of Pakistan, its citizens, democracy and civil-military relationship is known to all; it would also have a bearing on the nation’s fragile economy.
The election results reflect a profound disillusionment among Pakistanis, demonstrating their steadfast resistance to any form of meddling with their democratic mandate, whether overt or covert. The fragmented mandate and the lack of decisive victory by any single party are poised to result in the formation of a coalition government. Such a scenario is expected to prolong the country’s governme
The general elections are over. The process of forming an elected government is ongoing. Two important things to watch are how well the new government tackles back-breaking inflation and how judiciously it goes about collecting taxes from people and businesses. If the establishment desists from post-election intervention, there are chances for a relatively strong parliament and a relatively
President Arif Alvi has blocked promulgation of an ordinance, moved by the caretaker government just before the end of its term that apparently sought to neutralise the powers of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) bypassing the Council of Common Interests (CCI). Informed sources said the president rejected the proposed amendments to the 1991 Irsa Act on the grounds that such a critical mat