Pakistonomy

There has been a lot of talk about a foreign conspiracy in Pakistan, particularly by former prime minister Imran Khan and his followers. While this conspiracy theory is outlandish and has been debunked by many experts, Khan and his followers continue to believe it. But is Khan really standing against up for Pakistan when it comes to pushing back against foreign powers that have exercised influenced over Pakistan over the decades? Or is this just political rhetoric? In this Urdu discussion, Uzair talks to Dr. Ayyaz Mallick about the structural underpinnings of Pakistan's society, politics, and economy and how these structures allow foreign powers to influence the country. Dr. Mallick is a Lecturer at the University of Liverpool and has a PhD from York University. Reading Recommendations: - On the Jewish Question by Karl Marx - The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte by Karl Marx - The Wretched of the Earth by Franz Fanon

A lot has happened in Pakistan over the last few weeks, with Imran Khan's government first creating a constitutional crisis and then losing power in a dramatic late-night vote in the National Assembly. But what does this mean for Pakistan's flawed and floundering democracy? And how should we view this moment in time from a historical perspective? In this episode, Uzair Younus talks to Dr. Ilhan Niaz, Head of the Department of History at the Quaid-e-Azam University, about the impact of ongoing events on Pakistan's political economy.

The COVID-19 pandemic, a once-in-a-century event, caused widespread socioeconomic upheaval in the world. In Pakistan, there were fears that the country would descend into chaos, but the country was able to navigate this crisis without realizing the worst-case scenarios. Credit for this goes to the Khan government and the NCOC, which did an excellent job coordinating the public health response to the pandemic. In this episode, Uzair talks to Maha Rehman and dives deeper into how a data-led approach helped deal with the crisis, and how collaboration across the border in India also played a role. Maha is a data analytics specialist and has almost a decade of experience in designing and executing evidence-based programs, products and policies to improve service delivery and impact. She has also setup the Analytics Wing at CERP that is focused on embedding data in the decisions and operations of private and public sector companies to increase efficiency, impact and profit. Prior to this, she has led research experiments at CERP and at World Bank in the fields of education, public finance and governance.

Uzair talks to Ambareen Baig about the state of Pakistan's startup ecosystem based on the findings of Invest2Innovate's recently released Pakistan Startup Ecosystem Report 2021. Ambareen Baig is a research professional well acquainted with the startup ecosystem in Pakistan. After starting out her career as an educator, she moved on as a Fulbright scholar for a masters in Educational Psychology from the University of Arizona (UofA). Other than teaching research methodologies at the undergraduate level at her alma mater, she also served as a Global Ambassador for international students at the UofA. She has worked on youth development projects in Pakistan through the School of Leadership (SoL) where she brought two UNICEF projects to fruition while spearheading SoL’s community space, the Hangout Space. Currently, she is working at invest2innovate (i2i) as Head of Insights where she gets to do what she loves inherently - data and research. In addition to coauthoring i2i's bimonthly data driven newsletter, she has authored/co-authored several publications at i2i including Pakistan Startup Ecosystem Report (2019), COVID & its Impact on Pakistani Startups (2020), KP Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Report (2021), and more. She loves to make an impact on the startup ecosystem in the country by bringing equity to the use and dissemination of data and information. You can find the complete report here: https://www.insightsi2i.com/pser-21 Reading Recommendations: - Kartography by Kamila Shamsie - Being Pakistani by Raza Rumi - Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez

Uzair talks to Asanga Abeyagoonasekara about the ongoing political and economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Things have gone from bad to worse in the island nation, which is now suffering shortages of essential goods. Asanga explains how things spiralled out of control and the way out. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera is Senior Fellow at the Millennium Project and an international security analyst from Sri Lanka. He has led two government think tanks providing strategic advocacy in Sri Lanka and was the Founding Director General of the National Security Think Tank under the Ministry of Defence in the country. He is the author of Sri Lanka at Crossroads. Reading Recommendations: - The Long Game by Rush Doshi - On Thermonuclear War by Herman Kahn - The Fateful Triangle by Tanvi Madan

Uzair talks to Dr. Margarita Konaev about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, what prompted Putin to invade now, and the risks of urban warfare in the heart of Europe. Dr. Margarita Konaev is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) interested in military applications of AI and Russian military innovation. Previously, she was a Non-Resident Fellow with the Modern War Institute at West Point, a post-doctoral fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House. Her research on international security, armed conflict, non-state actors and urban warfare in the Middle East, Russia and Eurasia has been published by a whole host of publications, including the Journal of Strategic Studies, the Journal of Global Security Studies. Reading Recommendations: - A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya by Anna Politkovskaya

Uzair speaks with Musadaq Zulqarnain, Chairman of Interloop Limited, the largest Textile on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Musadaq also serves on the board of Karandaaz, a not for profit organization promoting financial inclusion, sponsored by DFID(UKAid) and Bill Melinda Gates Foundation. He is also the President of Interloop Welfare Trust and Lyallpur Literary council. An ardent supporter of quality affordable education, Musadaq is actively associated with The Citizens Foundation (TCF), the largest not-for-profit organization providing education to underprivileged children in Pakistan. He has served on the Board of Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development & Management Company (FIEDMC) for 6 years and also held the position of its CEO. Musadaq has also been a Member of the Board of Port Qasim Authority. This episode is a major milestone for the podcast, so thank you to all of you for supporting and joining us in this journey. Reading Recommendations: - How China Became Capitalist by Ning Wang and Ronald Coase - Mr and Mrs Jinnah, the Marriage that Shook India by Sheela Reddy - Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta

Uzair talks to Dr. Asfandyar Mir about rising cases of terrorism in Pakistan, the emerging threat on the Afghan border, and what risks he is concerned about during this ongoing second war on terror. Dr. Asfandyar Mir is a senior expert in the Asia Center at USIP. Previously, Dr. Mir held various fellowships at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. His research interests include the international relations of South Asia, U.S. counterterrorism policy and political violence — with a regional focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Dr. Mir’s research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, such as International Security, International Studies Quarterly and Security Studies. He received his doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago and a master’s and bachelor’s from Stanford University. Reading Recommendations: - Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergman - Ordering Violence: Explaining Armed Group-State Relations from Conflict to Cooperation by Paul Staniland

Uzair talks to Aiman Bashir about her startup and the emerging edtech ecosystem in Pakistan. Aiman is co-founder and CEO of the business and has worked at the World Bank, Nestle and Coca-Cola. In 2020. Out-Class is a world-class EdTech platform, whose instructors hail from the world’s best institutions and have a deep-rooted passion for educating the country’s youth. Aiman won the coveted Standard Chartered Women In Tech competition in Pakistan and became the Pakistan winner for the largest tech competition in the world, She Loves Tech Global. Reading Recommendations: - Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 10 Powerful Tools for Life and Work by Marilee Adams - Amy Cuddy's TED Talk - Fake it Till You Make it - Happiness Is a Choice by Barry Neil Kaufman

Uzair talks to Dr. Miftah Ismail, former finance minister and senior member of the PML-N, about the path ahead for Pakistan's economy. The conversation explores reform priorities, export promotion, and improving the fiscal and external sector outlook for the economy.