you simply don't mention the challenges faced , which are security issues , india is hostile plus supporting proxies in the west , so maintaining status quo is still an achievement given the circumstances
Agree on the shift needed, but I am not sure if this could be attainable without reducing influence or ousting the establishment that are incompetent, serving their interest vs people and corrupted first, since when an army knows to run an economy? 🇵🇰 would be already #1 economy globally…also can’t do tech IP sharing with 🇨🇳 without deep education and university changed in the AI era (see Vietnam 🇻🇳), a harder currency to fight against inflation and security (see El Salvador 🇸🇻)
Very bold as usual. I’m not an economist, rather am far from economy (a pharmacist by profession working in the U.K. and Canada) but I read and enjoy your articles.
Here I like the regime change notion, however it’s inconceivable to give a rationale guidance to the authorities there and even harder to make public understand the need of economical growth.
Nice article with emphasis on the basics for a 50 year turnaround idea. However, it would have been helpful to an ordinary Pakistani (who may be not fully conversant with economics mechanisms) if you had presented a precise proposed action plan in bullets form as a way forward for any competent government to follow towards achieving the set 5/50 goal
Professor, the problems seem so obvious when you write about Pakistan’s economy but it all boils down to the broken nervous system. A critical approach needs critiquing of the system, but with the implementation of firewalls and the PECA act, it seems like the room for criticism is dwindling.
I know that one must never give up hope but how does one even think of a regime change when the ruling class is locking up or exiling every ounce of critique?
This all boils down to having an elected government with a genuine mandate from the people. A government chosen by the people, for the people. The problem, according to my understanding, is that many internal and external factors have prevented us from having stable and competent governments truly selected by the public.
Once we have representatives who are purely elected by the people, many things will gradually stabilize. When our institutions understand their own domains and stop interfering in others, much will improve. Unfortunately, this has not been allowed to happen over the past 75 years. The Mir Jafars and charlatans have repeatedly tried to hijack the country for their personal gain, and this has ultimately brought us to the situation we are in today.
Hopefully, one day we will come out of this mess, before it is too late, and move toward progress, InshaAllah.
The stagnation regime framing resonates beyond policy. I see it operating at the cultural level too. A small example: when something goes viral globally, the instinct in my circles was almost always to replicate it rather than ask why we couldn't be the ones setting the next trend. It is a subtle thing but I think it reveals something structural. Somewhere along the way we internalized a ceiling on our own ambition. I wonder if escaping the stagnation regime requires addressing that psychology alongside the policy environment, because the two seem to feed each other.
When the supposed best economic mind in the country uses more than a thousand words yet offers little more than sloganeering and a recap of our well known, endlessly repeated failures, it shows you how low the bar has fallen.
There has to be a serious debate about Pakistan’s obsession with an overvalued exchange rate, and a move toward a significantly undervalued rupee
Very nice Sir. I believe for this to happen, we need 5 ingredients. Firstly political will , then pragmatic leadership, continuity of policies, support of a productive work force and commited beauracracy.
Nice article! Was recently thinking about how I haven't read an article from you in a while, so it was nice to see you are back!
A question: would you say Bangladesh/India have left behind this stagnation regime (or at least made steps in the right direction)?
Excellent diagnosis; please map the sequence of actions to 5/50; how part.
you simply don't mention the challenges faced , which are security issues , india is hostile plus supporting proxies in the west , so maintaining status quo is still an achievement given the circumstances
Agree on the shift needed, but I am not sure if this could be attainable without reducing influence or ousting the establishment that are incompetent, serving their interest vs people and corrupted first, since when an army knows to run an economy? 🇵🇰 would be already #1 economy globally…also can’t do tech IP sharing with 🇨🇳 without deep education and university changed in the AI era (see Vietnam 🇻🇳), a harder currency to fight against inflation and security (see El Salvador 🇸🇻)
Very bold as usual. I’m not an economist, rather am far from economy (a pharmacist by profession working in the U.K. and Canada) but I read and enjoy your articles.
Here I like the regime change notion, however it’s inconceivable to give a rationale guidance to the authorities there and even harder to make public understand the need of economical growth.
Nice article with emphasis on the basics for a 50 year turnaround idea. However, it would have been helpful to an ordinary Pakistani (who may be not fully conversant with economics mechanisms) if you had presented a precise proposed action plan in bullets form as a way forward for any competent government to follow towards achieving the set 5/50 goal
So the answer is more research. Of course. Coz we haven't run enough regressions and RCTs.
Professor, the problems seem so obvious when you write about Pakistan’s economy but it all boils down to the broken nervous system. A critical approach needs critiquing of the system, but with the implementation of firewalls and the PECA act, it seems like the room for criticism is dwindling.
I know that one must never give up hope but how does one even think of a regime change when the ruling class is locking up or exiling every ounce of critique?
This all boils down to having an elected government with a genuine mandate from the people. A government chosen by the people, for the people. The problem, according to my understanding, is that many internal and external factors have prevented us from having stable and competent governments truly selected by the public.
Once we have representatives who are purely elected by the people, many things will gradually stabilize. When our institutions understand their own domains and stop interfering in others, much will improve. Unfortunately, this has not been allowed to happen over the past 75 years. The Mir Jafars and charlatans have repeatedly tried to hijack the country for their personal gain, and this has ultimately brought us to the situation we are in today.
Hopefully, one day we will come out of this mess, before it is too late, and move toward progress, InshaAllah.
True Professor
The stagnation regime framing resonates beyond policy. I see it operating at the cultural level too. A small example: when something goes viral globally, the instinct in my circles was almost always to replicate it rather than ask why we couldn't be the ones setting the next trend. It is a subtle thing but I think it reveals something structural. Somewhere along the way we internalized a ceiling on our own ambition. I wonder if escaping the stagnation regime requires addressing that psychology alongside the policy environment, because the two seem to feed each other.
How did U.S. trade policies support the economic development of China and Korea?
A brilliant idea but to dump nothing will change we will not attaine that average
When the supposed best economic mind in the country uses more than a thousand words yet offers little more than sloganeering and a recap of our well known, endlessly repeated failures, it shows you how low the bar has fallen.
There has to be a serious debate about Pakistan’s obsession with an overvalued exchange rate, and a move toward a significantly undervalued rupee
Why do all such serious work, sneak into India and kill Hindu men in front of their wives and children.
Very nice Sir. I believe for this to happen, we need 5 ingredients. Firstly political will , then pragmatic leadership, continuity of policies, support of a productive work force and commited beauracracy.
Very sensible and somewhat obvious observations and suggestions. But the problem within is, "Who'll bell the cat"?