Pakistonomy

Karachi is already facing power shortages due to supply constraints of gas. Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned of another crisis in the winter months of this year and the next. And as expected, the issue has fallen victim to partisan politics. To talk about this issue from a non-partisan perspective, Uzair spoke to Samiullah Tariq, Head Of Research And Development - ‎Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company. At the heart of the issue is the price of natural gas and for as long as the price doesn't reflect the cost of the commodity, we will continue to face issues in the gas sector. Additionally, the government needs to encourage people to switch from gas-powered stoves and heaters to electric ones, as they are not only more efficient, but can help ease the growing household demand for natural gas.

The world is quickly moving towards renewable energy sources. In Pakistan, less than 5 percent of the country's energy comes from renewable energy (excluding hydro power). To talk about how the country can promote renewable energy and whether ending the grid as we know it is feasible, Uzair Younus spoke to Shazia Khan. Shazia Khan is the CEO of EcoEnergy, an environmental lawyer, and off-grid energy expert. She began her career as a consultant with the World Bank, working with the Global Environment Facility and Africa Energy. Prior to that, Shazia worked at Pakistan’s National Development Finance Corporation, facilitating long term financing for energy projects.

We often hear about the unity of the ummah and how that drove progress. But this idea is poorly, if at all, understood by most people. The reasons given for the rise and fall of Muslim civilization often do not meet the test of history and rigorous analysis. In this episode, we are going to try to understand the causes of its dramatic rise and sustained decline. To help us understand this complex topic, Uzair Younus spoke to Dr. Ahmet T. Kuru Professor of Political Science at San Diego State University. Dr. Kuru is the author of the fantastic award-winning book Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: A Global and Historical Comparison and his works have been translated into Arabic, Bosnian, Chinese, French, Indonesian, and Turkish. You can purchase his book on Amazon using this link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S9DBZ1R/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Understanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Conversations around the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in mainstream media end up in a “are you a patriot” or “are you a traitor” binary. There is no doubt about the fact that Pakistan has doubled down on its strategic relationship with China in recent years: Prime Minister Imran Khan recently saying in an interview that Pakistan’s future is tied to China. But what is CPEC all about? And how does it fit into China’s overall regional and geopolitical ambitions? To talk about this, Uzair Younus invited Dr. Tayyab Safdar, a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of Virginia’s Department of Politics and East Asia Center. His research investigates the effects of increasing Chinese investment in infrastructure projects on economic development in countries located along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). If you liked this episode, please share it on your social media and with your friends and family! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel!

Pakistan is facing a pension crisis which is straining the country’s fiscal resources. In a recently published article for Business Recorder, Ali Khizar wrote that pension spending has gone from “Rs 164 billion in FY 11” to “Rs988 billion in FY21.” To talk about this crisis, Uzair Younus spoke to Ali Khizar and discussed what is going on and why it is important that Pakistan prioritize pension reforms. If you are interested in diving deep into this topic, read Ali Khizar’s articles below: Defusing the pension bomb - https://www.brecorder.com/news/40013934 How pension turned into a bomb - https://www.brecorder.com/news/40014859 If you liked this episode, please share it on your social media and with your friends and family! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel! Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pakistonomy/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tabadlab Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/tabadlab You can also subscribe to our podcast by searching for "Tabadlab Pakistonomy" on your favorite app.

Ethnic cleavages have created unique challenges for Pakistan's political economy since 1947. Since the passage of the 18th Amendment, the conversation has changed substantially. To talk about how these issues affect Pakistan's political system and its economy, Uzair Younus spoke with Dr. Farhan H. Siddiqi. Dr. Siddiqi is an Associate Professor at the Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad and has done in depth research on ethnic issues in the country. If you liked this episode, please share it on your social media and with your friends and family! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel! Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pakistonomy/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tabadlab Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/tabadlab You can also subscribe to our podcast by searching for "Tabadlab Pakistonomy" on your favorite app.

Stocks Make a Comeback (Urdu) The KSE-100 has been rallying in recent weeks, increasing optimism among investors about the prospects of Pakistan's economy. While the stock market is not fully indicative of the real economy, it provides us with insights about where the economy is headed and the sentiment among investors. To talk about this ongoing rally, Uzair Younus spoke with Bilal Moon. They talked about whats driving the recent momentum, why foreign investors have been net sellers, and what retail investors should do to maximize their long-term returns. If you liked this episode, please share it on your social media and with your friends and family! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel! Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pakistonomy/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tabadlab Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/tabadlab You can also subscribe to our podcast by searching for "Tabadlab Pakistonomy" on your favorite app.

Renegotiating Power Contracts (Urdu) Uzair speaks with Ammar Khan about the government's successful negotiations with IPPs and what it means for Pakistani consumers. If you want to dive deeper into this topic, listen to the podcast Uzair hosted with Ammar on the power sector: https://soundcloud.com/tabadlab/pakistonomy-episode-15-pakistans-power-sector

Pakistan has been able to successfully flatten the COVID-19 curve and that has had a positive impact on the economy, with some key indicators turning positive over the last few weeks. Uzair Younus spoke with Ariba Shahid, a business journalist at Profit by Pakistan Today, about this nascent recovery. We also spoke about Karachi's governance challenges, Punjab's chief minister, and her predictions for the next 3-6 months. Views expressed in this video are personal and do not reflect the employer’s views. If you liked this episode, please share it on your social media and with your friends and family! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel! Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pakistonomy/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tabadlab Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/tabadlab You can also subscribe to our podcast by searching for "Tabadlab Pakistonomy" on your favorite app.

India’s Growth Story: Astute Planning or an Accident? Shankkar Aiyar is a political economy analyst, columnist, and the author of several books, including Accidental India: A History of the Nation's Passage Through Crisis and Change, which is a must-read for anyone who wants to fully understand what it took for India to push through transformative structural reforms. Uzair talked to him about India's reforms, why crises are an opportunity for pushing change, and how COVID-19 creates new opportunities for India and other emerging markets. If you liked this episode, please share it on your social media and with your friends and family! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel! Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pakistonomy/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tabadlab Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/tabadlab You can also subscribe to our podcast by searching for "Tabadlab Pakistonomy" on your favorite app.