State of Pakistan

From DAWN: March 17, 2008

By Yousuf Nazar

Pakistan faces grim economic prospects in the next 12 months and the situation calls for emergency measures to control one of the highest rates of inflation in the world and a probable drop in the currency value due to the widening current account deficit and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

Pervez Musharraf’s regime has allowed the crisis to develop to a degree where the new government may not have any option but to take tough decisions if it wants to control the situation within 12-18 months because it would take at least that long for the measures to take effect. It is disappointing that the political parties, who won the elections, have not come out with any major policy statement about their plans to address the immediate economic issues.

Please click economy-can-destablise-politics.pdf to read the full article.

By Ahmed Quraishi - 3/13/2008

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Why don’t our American friends send a drone across the Pakistan border to kill Baitullah Mehsud, a man seen by many here as an agent of the Indians and their anti-Pakistani friends in the Kabul regime? Read more »

From DAWN: March 10, 2008 

By Yousuf Nazar         

Pakistan’s inflation rate in the first seven months of current fiscal year has hit nearly 17 per cent – the highest in Asia, its exports growth has stalled and the budget and current account deficits are reaching one of the highest levels among the major developing economies. The fundamental and structural imbalances and weaknesses – and not the just the high oil price – have contributed to the gradual but predictable deterioration in the country’s macro economic fundamentals over the last two years.  Read more »

The government, oil marketing companies (OMCs) and dealers are making billions of rupees by charging Rs14.94 on one litre petrol, Rs25.03 on HOBC, Rs9.84 on kerosene oil and Rs8.5 on one litre diesel, discloses detailed notification about raise in POL products effective March 1.

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The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, arrived in Islamabad Monday to emphasize America’s eagerness to help Pakistan in its fight against foreign terrorists and home-grown militants operating in the northwestern tribal areas.Admiral Mullen said the United States was willing to offer assistance for such things as training, transport helicopters and night-combat operations, but stressed that he was carrying no specific proposals on this visit and would await formal requests from Pakistan’s military. Read more »

The tigers that lost their roar

 Feb 28th 2008 | BANGKOK AND KUALA LUMPUR

From The Economist print edition 

Other emerging economies are producing world-class companies by the dozen. Why aren’t the countries of South-East Asia? 

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OFFICIALS in Tampa, Florida, got a surprise recently when a local firm building the state’s first ethanol-production factory put in a request for 400,000 gallons (1.5m litres) a day of city water. The request by US Envirofuels would make the facility one of the city’s top ten water consumers overnight, and the company plans to double its size. Florida is suffering from a prolonged drought. Rivers and lakes are at record lows and residents wonder where the extra water will come from. Read more »

The Unsung Heros 

By Assad Hameed 

ISLAMABAD Feb. 23- Chief Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqi and his brother judges who opted not to take oath under first Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) in year 2000 are the actual heroes of the struggle for independence of judiciary in the country, many leading lawyers have asserted. Read more »