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