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Economic impact of an ageing population
P akistan has long been thought of as a young country, its identity shaped by bustling bazaars, crowded classrooms and a seemingly endless tide of youth. For decades, this youth bulge has been celebrated as a great opportunity for economic growth. But quietly and steadily, our demographic...
Published on: August 3, 2025
The Undergraduate Education Policy â II
The policy aims at promoting functional literacy in ICT, English and entrepreneurship, but stops short of fostering intellectual autonomy. Developed nations integrate transformative learning, research, critical debate and interdisciplinary reasoning into their curricula. Where the UGEP treats...
Published on: August 3, 2025
Small-scale public-private partnership
A s Pakistan confronts its ever-growing infrastructure and public service delivery gaps, policy makers and development practitioners are turning to an under-emphasised yet extremely promising instrument: the small-scale public private partnership . Unlike the CPEC mega-projects or motorways...
Published on: August 3, 2025
Agriculture and green finance
A griculture forms the economic backbone of Pakistan, generating 24 percent of the GDP and employing nearly half the workforce. Drive through the Punjab’s vast wheat fields or witness the cotton harvest in Sindh and the scale of this dependence becomes clear. Economies of entire...
Published on: August 3, 2025
For a climate resilient future
A s Pakistan unveils its first climate-tagged federal budget, the question arises: will these high-level commitments actually improve the daily lives of the millions living below the poverty line? While measures like climate budget tagging and new carbon levies are presented as progressive...
Published on: August 3, 2025
Agricultural water management
T auseef Ahmad, a young, vibrant and qualified manager of a coloured bell pepper crop in Kallar Kahar, Chakwal district, a rain-fed area in the Punjab, is very happy after installing soil moisture sensors at his farm. He is saving almost half of the water than the past practice. This...
Published on: August 3, 2025
Counting what counts post-Seville
E very year, Pakistan invests billions in education. The outcomes remain sobering. Millions of children are still out of school and learning poverty persists among those enrolled as a majority cannot read a simple, age-appropriate text. Closing this gap has never been more urgent.The past...
Published on: August 3, 2025
A silent crisis
S amina, a woman living in a thatched hut near Kumbhar Para in Hyderabad city, is expecting her third child at the age of 20. Despite her condition, she works as a house-maid for several families to make ends meet. “My 45-year-old husband is suffering from several health complications...
Published on: August 3, 2025
Surviving climatic chaos
A summer holiday meant to bring joy and relaxation ended in heartbreak for a group of tourists from Sialkot, when a flash flood surged through the picturesque Swat Valley on June 27.The group of 17 had arrived at the hill station to enjoy its cool weather and verdant landscape, unaware of...
Published on: August 3, 2025
Budget optics and the test of the economy
K hurram Schehzad, advisor to the finance minister, recently pointed to Pakistan’s rising foreign exchange reserves, lower debt-to-GDP ratio and improved import cover as signs of strengthening economic stability. These achievements are notable. Yet, they must be weighed against the...
Published on: July 27, 2025
The Undergraduate
The Undergraduate Education Policy, introduced by Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission in 2023, represents an ambitious attempt to standardise and reform undergraduate education across the country. Designed for both associate and bachelor degree programmes, the policy aims to transition...
Published on: July 27, 2025
Facilitating investment and industry
T he past year has witnessed a remarkable transformation in Pakistan’s macroeconomic landscape. Fiscal deficits have narrowed, with a historic primary surplus of 3.0 percent of GDP for July-March, the first fiscal surplus in 24 years, and inflation has receded to a six-decade low of...
Published on: July 27, 2025
Excessive and regressive taxation
A delegation of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, along with senior members from the business community, recently held an important meeting with the country’s top military officials. According to an official statement, the military leaders promised full...
Published on: July 27, 2025
Family physicians breaking barriers
O n World Hepatitis Day, as doctors and public health researchers focusing on Pakistan’s healthcare system, we note that the country now leads the world hepatitis-C infections with 8.8 million cases. We also realise that family physicians can transform this crisis through a...
Published on: July 27, 2025
The last nationalist maulana
T hough the two were separated by centuries and historical complexities make comparison difficult, the struggle, spirit and sacrifice of Maulana Khanzeb of Bajaur, recently martyred in the course of his daring struggle, reminds me of Sufi Shah Inayatullah of Jhok – whose story I first...
Published on: July 27, 2025
Personal Political Zubeida lives
Theatre artist Atif Badar; Prof. Zakia Sarwar ; ZM's niece Saba; Shabina Mustafa, The Garage School, Ayesha Islam, APWA, journalist Khursheed Hyder. “W hat better way to educate society than to hold a discourse. And what better discourse can there be than literature. Who...
Published on: July 27, 2025
A politician and a gentleman
M ian Muhammad Azhar, the veteran politician, a former Punjab governor and elected mayor of Lahore, passed away on July 22, at the age of 83. His death marked the departure of a politician whose career spanned the most turbulent decades and whose political legacy is likely to remain...
Published on: July 27, 2025
Industry profits and public need
A lack of effective oversight by the government has once again resulted in a shortage of sugar in the country. Sugar production during the 2024-25 season has shown a consistent decline on a monthly basis as compared to the last year’s figures and the current season’s...
Published on: July 20, 2025
Scrutinising prescribed history curriculumâII
Programme learning outcomes, while appropriately framed, remain general and lack measurable academic benchmarks. Internationally, learning objectives are often aligned with cognitive development models, progressing from basic comprehension to critical analysis and synthesis. Assessments in elite...
Published on: July 20, 2025
Unlocking the employment potential
A s Pakistan confronts a youth bulge and a growing mismatch between workforce skills and labour market demand, there is an urgent need to rethink how government and development partners fund skills development programmes. Traditional input-based financing mechanisms have fallen short in...
Published on: July 20, 2025
Innovation for resilient rural communities
P akistan has to deal with the dual challenges of climate change and rural poverty. These challenges are linked and demand integrated solutions that blend indigenous knowledge with modern green practices to enable rural communities to adapt to climate impacts, reduce greenhouse gas...
Published on: July 20, 2025
A tsunami foretold
I n Pakistan today, we often speak of youth as our greatest asset — a young population full of potential, vitality and hope. But while our gaze remains fixed on the aspirations of the young, a quieter demographic shift is taking place, one that could reshape the social and economic...
Published on: July 20, 2025
A preventable danger
T he World Health Organisation recognises drowning as a major global public health concern. World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25 each year, raises awareness of drowning’s global toll and promotes life-saving prevention strategies, especially in vulnerable communities. Drowning is...
Published on: July 20, 2025
Pakistan's invisible women workers
P akistan’s women workers in the informal economy form the backbone of their communities, yet their contributions remain systematically excluded from global gender assessments.The Global Gender Gap Report 2025 once again ranks Pakistan near the bottom, highlighting persistent...
Published on: July 20, 2025
Rural development
R ural development globally faces interconnected challenges, including poverty, food insecurity and lack of economic opportunities, inadequate infrastructure and the impacts of climate change. These challenges are worsened by socio-cultural issues like migration, gender inequality and weak...
Published on: July 20, 2025
Rationalising fiscal federalism
T he persistent underperformance of Pakistan’s tax machinery highlights a deeper structural dysfunction that transcends mere numerical deficits. The entrenched culture of reactive fiscal management, excessive dependence on indirect taxation and the political dynamics surrounding tax...
Published on: July 13, 2025
Scrutinising prescribed history curriculum â I
The recently revised history degree programmes, developed by a team of historians under the guidance of the Higher Education Commission, aim to foster a critical understanding of historical developments across cultures and eras. According to the official notification, the programmes are designed...
Published on: July 13, 2025
A turning point in history
T he United States has long positioned itself as the leader of the free world and the guardian of the international law and global stability. But its recent support for Israel in a deepening conflict with Iran may mark the beginning of the end of that era. In what could be remembered as a...
Published on: July 13, 2025
Inclusive development for progress on the SDGs
T he Sustainable Development Goals provide a comprehensive framework to eliminate poverty; promote gender equality; ensure quality education and health; foster decent work and economic growth; and safeguard the environment through responsible, inclusive development. As the world moves...
Published on: July 13, 2025
KP's monsoon myopia
T ragedy struck again in the Swat valley on June 27 and 28. The once verdant slopes of Fizagat and Khwaza Khela saw catastrophic devastation as a massive flash-flood, triggered by torrential monsoon shower, washed away tourists, families and livestock along the Swat River. Videos...
Published on: July 13, 2025
A disaster in the making
T he once-vibrant Namal Lake lies near the town of Rikhi and the Namal College in Mianwali. The serene water body is now turning into a muddy pond.Once a vital source of fresh water, a thriving habitat for wildlife and a centre of local culture and economy, Namal Lake is now a pale shadow...
Published on: July 13, 2025
A fearless intellectual
F ar too often Pakistan, envisioned by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a democratic welfare state, has been a witness to the labeling of those writing or speaking an inconvenient truth as a “traitor” or “enemy of the state.” This criminalisation of dissent and...
Published on: July 13, 2025
Women and ecological warfare
S everal times a day, groups of women begin a silent procession through the steep hills and broken trails in Galliat. Carrying metal containers, they walk, sometimes barefoot, towards the last remaining natural springs. These springs, nestled deep within forested gullies, have become...
Published on: July 13, 2025
Roadblocks to industrialisation
F or developing countries, industrialisation is not just a road to prosperity, it is a necessity. It is among the most important pillars of economic development. Industrialisation drives exports, creates employment, increases government revenues and reduces trade deficits. Countries like...
Published on: July 6, 2025
Alternative to the American unilateralism â II
T he joint declaration by China and Russia was far more than diplomatic posturing. It was a meticulously crafted document—equal parts ideological vision and strategic roadmap—aimed at redefining the global order. Far from symbolic defiance or routine solidarity, it was a...
Published on: July 6, 2025
Understanding budget priorities
T o manage a country’s economy, a government primarily relies on two types of economic policies: monetary policy and fiscal policy. The goals of these policies typically include controlling inflation and unemployment, boosting economic growth and maintaining a balance in payments. In...
Published on: July 6, 2025
Building resilient model villages
“E nding poverty on a livable planet requires all countries to enhance the resilience of their people and economies to the impacts of climate change, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other damage to nature and the environment,” says People in a Changing Climate:...
Published on: July 6, 2025
Frontlines of reform
A s Pakistan begins another fiscal year amidst economic constraints and pressing development priorities, the education budgets of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan offer important insights into how provincial governments are responding to entrenched access and learning gaps.
...
Published on: July 6, 2025
Population and poverty
W orld Population Day – July 11 - unites reform advocates, leaders and organisations to address the population challenges. It serves as a platform for dialogue and action, aiming to create a better future. It also aims to raise awareness about global population issues and their impact...
Published on: July 6, 2025
Of courage and contradictions
P olitical thinker, religious scholar and pioneering newspaper founder Agha Murtaza Pooya breathed his last on Friday, June 27, in Karachi after a prolonged illness. He was 76. His body was taken to Islamabad, where funeral prayers were held at noon at Imambargah Sadiq in G-9. The funeral...
Published on: July 6, 2025
A lifelong commitment to humanitarian service
Sarang Khowaja’s journey from a small village in Sindh to becoming a key player in international humanitarian missions with Médecins Sans Frontières is nothing short of inspiring. He is a dedicated biomedical engineer with over 15 years of experience in some of the...
Published on: July 6, 2025
Challenges of an emerging global order
T he recent military conflict between Israel and Iran not only destabilised an already fragile Middle East but also posed a grave threat to the global peace and economic security. The surprise attack by Israel on the Iranian nuclear facilities violated international law and the foundational...
Published on: June 29, 2025
Alternatives to American unilateralism â I
F rom the end of the World War II in 1945 until 2001, the United States was involved in 201 out of 248 armed conflicts around the world, according to data from Uppsala University in Sweden. These conflicts took place in 153 regions, the US was involved in about 81 percent of those. These...
Published on: June 29, 2025
Water governance in Karachi
A pall of gloom seemed to have descended on Karachiites when it was revealed that K-IV project will receive a sum of Rs 3.2 billion during the financial year against the Rs 40 billion requirement. This will further delay the completion of this vital water supply scheme needed to bridge the...
Published on: June 29, 2025
Voices for rivers
R ivers have always been at the heart of human existence. Since ancient times, they have provided food, water and a reason for people to settle and build communities. Great civilisations, from the Nile in Egypt to Indus Valley, emerged and flourished along riverbanks. Today, millions of...
Published on: June 29, 2025
More, but not smarter
A s Pakistan’s two most populous provinces unveil their education budgets for FY 2025–26, the emerging picture is one of fiscal ambition tempered by systemic constraint. The Punjab and Sindh, together home to more than 194 million people, now educate over 19 million children...
Published on: June 29, 2025
Acknowledging all our defenders
I ndia has always been hostile toward Pakistan since the two countries got their independence in 1947. After Prime Minister Modi was elected to his august office, however, this phenomenon took on a whole new dimension. Anti-Pakistan rhetoric is now routinely used in India to win...
Published on: June 29, 2025
A takeaway from life
I t was my final year of medical school in the UK. I was meeting with my consultant tutor, a formidable endocrinologist, for my last sign-off on clinical activities for the year. The meeting was ticking along smoothly, with each clinical task being dutifully checked off. Then, towards the...
Published on: June 29, 2025
A tale of triumph and tragedy
A rt and culture, are the identity of a nation. By all measures, Sadequain was the finest ambassador of the nation’s identity. He was a polymath; a confluence of Picasso, Michelangelo, Omar Khayyam and calligrapher Yakoot. Likes of him are not born for centuries. His work was like...
Published on: June 29, 2025
The generational chasm
T hese days, the term Gen Z seems to be everywhere. It’s used to describe a group of young people — often with sweeping generalisations. They are called self-centred, allergic to responsibility, obsessed with privacy and irreverent toward older generations. In casual...
Published on: June 29, 2025