‘Tied aid’ is better than no aid
The shortest answer to the question of whether it is a good idea for European nations to scale back their international aid commitments to meet the costs of hosting the influx of refugees into their...
View ArticleWhat’s in a definition?
For countries like our own, which are amongst the largest recipients of international development aid, it is surprising to see no attention given to a recent shift in the very definition of what...
View ArticleRethinking Urdu’s hegemony
The status of Urdu became a marker for Muslim identity in the pre-partition Indian subcontinent, and helped legitimise the Two-Nation Theory, based on which Pakistan was created. However, the continued...
View ArticleIs Trump capitalising on neoliberalism’s failure?
The popularity of Trump, despite his crass political rhetoric, is not only baffling to the larger international audience, who are following the race for the White House, but has also become a source of...
View ArticleAfghan opium resurgence and us
Since 9/11, the lingering turmoil in Afghanistan has led to a steady growth in opium production, and now our neighbouring country has become the largest supplier of illegal opium in the world. Massive...
View ArticleRegulating corporate behaviour internationally
Developing countries under pressure from international donors, and desperate to earn some revenue from foreign direct investment, continue falling over themselves to invite multinational corporations...
View ArticleCan Punjab’s farmers be made progressive?
This past week, the chief minister of Punjab wrote an op-ed for this paper, elaborating on his vision for boosting agricultural productivity in Punjab. The need for focusing on the agriculture sector...
View ArticleNeed we fear Sanders’ trade vision?
The primary race for the Democratic contender for the US presidential elections is becoming increasingly intense. While nowhere as divisive as what is going on in the Republican camp, it is interesting...
View ArticleTrickling down or siphoning off?
While only a fraction of the Mossack Fonseca files have become public knowledge, the ramifications of the Panama Papers have already created quite a stir. Pakistan, of course, is also very much...
View ArticleOur new poverty estimate
Poverty is easy enough to recognize by those who experience its multidimensional deprivations on a daily basis, or even by those who invariably confront its glaring pervasiveness. However, measuring...
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