This working paper considers the structural challenges that confront the Pakistan economy beyond the immediate impositions of contending with COVID(coronavirus). Using a general thematic approach, the paper seeks to look beyond the urgent preoccupations of COVID to grapple with the important...

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has already wreaked havoc on the international economy in numerous ways, differentiating itself in particular through its impact on the “real world” economy as opposed to financial market-specific damage. Both developed and developing countries are seeking...

This working paper attempts to examine the economic nature of encroachments in developing countries by considering the context of Pakistan. In the tradition of De Soto (2000), the question of encroachments is framed in terms of the “mystery of capital,” in that developing economies such as...

A growing population and increasing environmental challenges have posed a massive threat to the Earth and its resources. With the world facing a plethora of new global challenges, conventional methods and technology is seemingly outdated for the task. This urges one to look for a new approach;...

This paper presents a series of perspectives on the political economy of the FATF and IMF in Pakistan for the calendar year 2019 (Vol. 1). It raises concerns about the excess politicization of the financial task force and how this impedes the fairness and efficiency of the international...

This paper aims to present comparative elements in the “development” programs of Egypt circa 2016 and Pakistan circa 2019. It argues that a clear pattern of IMF “assistance” improves each country's economic fundamentals from a foreign investor (particularly sovereign bond investor)...

Fiscal sustainability is an issue of worldwide concern, but it rings particularly true in the case of Pakistan's present debt trajectory. A shrinking fiscal space and an over-reliance on external debt financing has put immense pressure on the Pakistani economy and state; and as the urgency of the...

Pensions and social protections are a complex political topic in all countries. In Pakistan, the difficulties arise from various structural and procedural elements, and this paper suggests certain directions, including: (1) looking at the wider (non)structures of informal economic life, (2)...

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had devastating global effects from both a public health and economic point of view, yet countries have shown vastly different levels of success in responding to the outbreak, even at similar levels of development. This working paper seeks to compare the...