03 January 2005	Monday	21 Ziqa'ad 1425

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Out of the crisis in 2004? A sanguine IMF concludes in a recent report, "Pakistan has successfully emerged from economic crisis and is taking steps to further strengthen its economy" (Dawn, 23-12-04). ...		Another gainful year for investors in stocks In the last nine weeks of Nov-Dec 2004, the KSE-100 index has climbed by 24 per cent. During all of the year 2004, the Index recorded a cumulative gain of 38 per cent. ...
Interest rates and value of rupee Interest rates that started rising last year are all set to keep moving up during this year also - and the rupee that began to fall last year looks may decline further after making some quick recoveries. ...		Emerging banking scenario for 2005 and beyond Over the years, banking in Pakistan has been through many ups and downs after nationalizing of this vital institutional framework failed with disastrous results. ...
New moves for more Indo-Pakistan trade The year that has passed by, began with a landmark meeting between President Musharraf of Pakistan and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee of India allowing tariff concessions on 1,024 items importable from Saarc states. ...		The poverty debate In September 2000, around 150 heads of state, pledged to do our utmost to free our fellow men, women and children from abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty', at the UN Millennium General Assembly. ...
Limping housing and construction industry The performance of the housing and construction industry in 2004, despite the various incentives announced by the government for this sector, remained below expectations. ...		Environmental concerns One of my friends went to Squid catching in the sea downstream the KANUPP. He caught some fish and brought it home gleefully. When he cleaned the catch ready for cooking it was night. ...
Why we are afraid of the WTO In Pakistan, almost every second businessman appears to be suffering from an unknown fear of the World Trade Organization and expecting, anytime during 2005 or later, some kind of calamity to visit his manufacturing facility ...		'Imperatives' for privatizing Pakistan Telecom It has become fashionable these days to argue that privatization of public owned corporations and enterprizes should be limited only to unprofitable concerns and profitable companies should be retained in the public sector. ...
Viewpoints on Balochistan development process The divergent perceptions about the ongoing development process have created hopes, doubts, jubilation and frustrations in Balochistan. ...		Upgrading competitive policy and laws Competition law and policy is at the heart of the basic rules governing free market economy. There is a consensus among competition experts that the ultimate aim of competition law is to make markets work well for consumers. ...
Agriculture landscape 2004 The agriculture landscape was marked by two major developments in 2004, one extremely negative as the wheat crop remained below food needs of the populace and forced the government to import the commodity to meet domestic requirements ...		Water resource development potential Population of Pakistan has risen from 32.4 million in mid 1948 to 144.5 million in 2003, and is estimated to increase to 168 million by 2010, and to 221 million by 2025. ...
Seed production technology Agriculture sector is one of the major sources of income and employment for the people of barani areas. Successful transfer of improved technology to target beneficiaries requires strong and viable linkages of development. ...		Modernization of poultry farming Every community in the world is responsible to provide its residents adequate food and guarantee them freedom from hunger and malnutrition. ...
KSE index at all-time high on strength of blue chips The KSE 100-share index in the second last week of 2004 broke two consecutive barriers to finish at all-time high levels owing to massive buying in leading base shares including the OGDC, the PTCL, the Pakistan Oilfields and some others. ...		Forex reserves decline According to the Statement of Affairs of the State Bank of Pakistan, for the week ended December 18, 2004, both notes in circulation and those issued declined in the week. ...