

Pakistonomy
Tabadlab
Pakistan's first podcast focused on the country's economy, simplifying the complex relationships between paisa, politics and the public.
Presented by Tabadlab.
Presented by Tabadlab.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 4, 2025 • 53min
Ep 248 - Donald Trump, Modi, and the U.S.-India Relationship
Uzair talks to Dr. Irfan Nooruddin about the growing volatility in U.S.–India relations under President Trump. We discuss the impact of the 25% tariff imposed on Indian goods, the administration’s criticism of India’s oil trade with Russia, and the challenges around H-1B visas and illegal immigration. We also talk about the political constraints facing Prime Minister Modi in Delhi and what all this means for the future of the bilateral relationship.
Dr. Irfan Nooruddin is the Hamad bin Khalifa Professor of Indian Politics at Georgetown University. He is the author of The Everyday Crusade, Elections in Hard Times, and Coalition Politics and Economic Development. His work focuses on democratization, international political economy, and policymaking in the Global South.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:20 State of play in the relationship
8:30 MAGA’s view of India
23:15 Indian right wing’s bet on Trump 2.0
30:50 What can India do to make a deal with Trump?
42:40 Impact of Operation Sindoor on US-India ties

Jul 11, 2025 • 40min
Ep 247 - What comes next for Iran?
Uzair talks to Dr. Neda Bolourchi about the recent Israel-Iran-US conflict and its key takeaways. We also talked about whether the Iranian government is secure, the chances of diplomacy working, and Iran’s future role in the Middle East.
Dr. Neda Bolourchi is an interdisciplinary Middle East scholar and Associate Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers-New Brunswick. Her work includes international and comparative human rights legal analysis and foreign policy studies.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
3:00 Key takeaways
16:50 Is the Iranian regime secure?
24:45 Understand regime politics
31:05 Iran’s future in the Middle East
38:15 Reading recommendations
Book Recommendations:
- Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security by Andrew Preston
- Opera as Drama by Joseph Kerman
- Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding... Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis by Sam Anderson

Jun 13, 2025 • 41min
Ep 246 - Budget 2025 is an “elephantine mediocrity”
In this episode, Uzair talks to Khurram Husain about the 2025 budget and what the government got wrong. We also talked about Pakistan’s ability to extract geopolitical rents and how this stunts the reform agenda in the country.
You can read Khurram’s latest column on the budget here - https://www.dawn.com/news/1916673/thrashing-around
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:45 Budget assessment
11:10 Solar power access
20:20 Geopolitical rents and Pakistan
38:40 Conclusion

Jun 1, 2025 • 1h 7min
Ep 245 - Making sense of the geopolitical chessboard
Uzair talks to Dr. Kamran Bokhari about what the Trump Administration and his MAGA movement wants to achieve in the foreign policy and geopolitical realms. This is an area where there is still a lot of misconceptions about what Trump wants and the goals of his movement. Dr. Bokhari breaks down his assessment of the White House’s goals from Europe and the Middle East to China.
Finally, Dr. Bokhari also shares what he has picked up from the conversation in Washington about the recent India-Pakistan war.
Dr. Kamran Bokhari is the Senior Director of the Eurasian Security and Prosperity portfolio at the New Lines Institute. He served as Director of the Analytical Development Department from 2019 to 2023. Dr. Bokhari is also a national security and foreign policy specialist at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute. Some of the recent pieces of analyses he has written are worth a read:
- https://geopoliticalfutures.com/what-the-latest-india-pakistan-conflict-means-for-the-us/
- https://geopoliticalfutures.com/pakistans-crucial-role-in-chinas-military-strategy/
- https://geopoliticalfutures.com/postwar-security-in-gaza/
- https://geopoliticalfutures.com/a-new-reality-in-the-india-pakistan-conflict/
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:20 What does Trump want?
10:30 Evolving situation in Europe
20:18 Russia-China nexus
26:50 Israel, Iran, and the Middle East
43:30 Dealing with a rising China
54:40 Washington’s view on India-Pak War

May 27, 2025 • 55min
Ep 244 - Pathways to deescalation in the India-Pakistan crisis
Uzair talks to Dr. Sahar Khan about her key takeaways from the recent India-Pakistan war and why this conflict was an inflection point. We also talked about the role of international diplomacy, particularly the United States. Finally, the conversation also looked at what could happen in the next crisis, and the ways in which better engagement could avert total disaster.
Dr. Sahar Khan is an independent analyst and an expert on South Asian regional dynamics and strategic stability. She is based in Washington, DC.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Key takeaways from the war
27:50 Role of diplomacy and the US
37:30 What happens in the next crisis?
51:45 Reading recommendations
You can access Dr. Khan’s recent commentary here:
- https://inkstickmedia.com/the-myths-that-keep-india-and-pakistan-at-war/
- https://theworld.org/segments/2025/05/22/surge-in-popularity-for-pakistani-military
- https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3310688/rapid-escalation-india-pakistan-clashes-warning-new-tech-dangers

May 3, 2025 • 37min
Ep 243 - Pahalgam Terror Attack and Options for India
Uzair talks to Colonel Ajai Shukla (retired) about the fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir. We spoke about the state of the insurgency in the region, how their tactics and strategies are evolving, and what can be done to improve security. In addition, we also touched on the prospects of a India-Pakistan war and potential off ramps that could be available for either side to take.
Colonel Ajai Shukla (Retired) is a columnist and freelance journalist. He writes on strategic affairs, defence policy, military technology and the defence economy. He has written extensively for Business Standard, a pan-India daily; and for The New York Times, Guardian, BBC, Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post. He hosts a defence affairs blog, Broadsword (ajaishukla.com), which is visited daily by over 5,000 readers from across the world.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:00 Normalcy in Kashmir
6:00 Evolution of tactics
11:40 Intelligence failures and counterinsurgency
19:20 Evidence about links to Pakistan
25:30 India-Pakistan tensions
31:10 General Munir’s strategy
35:10 Conclusion

May 1, 2025 • 46min
Ep 242 - What comes next for the India-Pakistan relationship?
Uzair talks to Dr. Hassan Abbas about the ongoing standoff between India and Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Kashmir. We talked about what options are on the table for both sides, the role of the United States, and why engagement and negotiations are the only path forward for both countries.
Dr. Hassan Abbas is Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Centre (NESA), National Defense University in Washington DC. He serves as a senior advisor at Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and his current research work focuses on building narratives for countering political and religious extremism & rule of law reforms in developing states.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:30 Backdrop of the terror attack
14:20 Allegations and evidence
18:50 Narratives and media
25:10 Commitment traps
29:40 US response so far
36:30 Misreading the other side

Apr 25, 2025 • 49min
Ep 241 - Terrorism, India-Pakistan Standoff, and the Future of the Subcontinent
Uzair talks to Muhammad Faisal about the fallout from the recent terror attack in Kashmir and the options both India and Pakistan have moving forward. We talk about the nuclear stability risks in the region as well as potential off-ramps that can help deescalate the situation.
Muhammad Faisal is a Research Fellow at the University of Technology in Sydney and an expert in strategic stability and India-Pakistan relations.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:30 What led to this crisis?
15:40 Options for both sides
33:30 Off ramps and deescalation

Apr 19, 2025 • 32min
Ep 240 - AI and the Future of Jobs
In this episode, Uzair talks to Adil Husain about his perspective on how AI is going to disrupt the labor market and create new opportunities for young talent in markets like Pakistan. Adil is an entrepreneur and strategist based in Washington.
You can read his full piece here - https://adilhusain.substack.com/p/the-real-ai-threat-is-a-27-year-old
If you want to get in touch with Adil, message him on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adilhusain

Apr 12, 2025 • 36min
Ep 239 - The state targets journalists through PECA
In this episode, Uzair talk to Abdul Moiz Jaferii about the frivolous cases against journalist Farhan Mallick, who was arrested during Ramzan and given bail after Eid. We discussed the ways in which a process was used to deliver punishment against him, and how the state of Pakistan is moving towards criminalizing thought in the country.
Abdul Moiz Jaferii was part of the legal team that is continuing to represent Mr. Mallick in his ongoing cases.