S. Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA, Karachi
S. Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA, Karachi

People don’t realise that economics is about politics, particularly political economy. Issues about taxation, distribution, pricing, and much else, are governed by vested interests and lobbies of capital and of power. With grave uncertainty in the political terrain, the economy will continue to suffer.

This is not simply about elections but also about the clarity of purpose of all political actors. Self-interest and the absence of any public good have been the norm in Pakistan’s neoliberal order.

There is no reason to expect the next few years to be any different.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, January 2nd, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...
Not without reform
Updated 22 Apr, 2024

Not without reform

The problem with us is that our ruling elite is still trying to find a way around the tough reforms that will hit their privileges.
Raisi’s visit
22 Apr, 2024

Raisi’s visit

IRANIAN President Ebrahim Raisi, who begins his three-day trip to Pakistan today, will be visiting the country ...
Janus-faced
22 Apr, 2024

Janus-faced

THE US has done it again. While officially insisting it is committed to a peaceful resolution to the...