Unfinished Independence
Aug 25, 2025
The people of Pakistan may have won freedom from the yoke of British rule, but did they ever really gain independence from colonialism?
Margin Notes
Lost in the Code
Jul 21, 2025
Government officials in Pakistan put great faith in IT oriented solutions for every problem, from seeking justice to simply obtaining character certificates. But, is this faith justified? Can embracing IT work as a panacea for governance failures?
Missing the Mark
Jul 18, 2025
Despite decades of reform efforts and investment in the FBR’s systems, resources and processes, the government is nowhere close to achieving its desired levels of tax collection. It is not the implementation that is wrong, but the strategy.
Austerity theater: How Pakistan’s wasteful state fuels its debt crisis
Jun 20, 2025
For too long Pakistan’s economic policymakers have blamed taxpayers for not shouldering the country’s fiscal burdens. But this deflects from the state’s culture of profligacy, which is at the root of the country's debt crisis.
The 15% Mirage: How Pakistan’s Tax Obsession Serves Elites, Not Citizens
Jun 05, 2025
Pakistan's myopic focus on raising tax-to-GDP ratios rests on flawed assumptions and distracts from real fiscal reforms.
Good enough is better than world class
May 24, 2025
The country benefits far more from decent facilities everywhere, than world-class facilities in small pockets. Infrastructure development should take into consideration the needs of everyone, not just a segment of the population.