Pakistonomy

We have talked a lot about the role of Pakistani elites in the ongoing crises the country is facing, but not a whole lot on the role of the international order in influencing elite choices and Pakistan’s political economy. In this episode, Uzair talks to Azeema Cheema about the global drivers of Pakistan’s prolonged crises and the ways in which international actors have encouraged autocracy in the country. Azeema Cheema is a Founding Director at Verso Consulting, a Pakistan-based collective of practitioners, where she leads the portfolio on Conflict, Fragility and Violence. Azeema has over seventeen years of experience as a researcher with civil society organizations, governments and international organizations focusing on political economy, social cohesion, and conflict in Pakistan. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Global elites and their role 15:15 War and Pakistan 24:20 Why didn’t Pakistan end up like Korea? 38:30 Current situation and scope for reform 49:46 Reading recommendations Reading recommendations: - Under the Gun: Political Parties and Violence in Pakistan by Nilofer Siddiqui - The Culture of Power and Governance in Pakistan by Ilhan Niaz

In this episode, Uzair talks to Adnan Ansari about India’s Digital Data Protection Bill and what it means for internet users in the country. We also talked about the impact of this legislation on businesses and the investments India is looking to make in Digital Public Infrastructure. Adnan Ahmad Ansari is an Associate Vice President with The Asia Group’s South Asia Practice. Adnan brings extensive strategic advisory experience in helping clients advance their business and policy interests in India. Before joining TAG, Adnan was an Associate Vice President at 9.9 Insights, the independent strategic adviser to the Dentons Global Advisers-Albright Stonebridge Group in India. Adnan spent close to seven years at 9.9, working with Indian and international corporations across sectors. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Background of this legislation 13:03 Key features of the Bill 25:00 Impact on tech companies 32:45 Mindset shift for companies 38:14 Other policy changes impact tech 45:36 India’s DPI strategy

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Fahd Ali about the recent deal Pakistan reached with the IMF and what comes next. We also talked at length about the taxation challenges in Pakistan, whether the country needs debt restructuring, and what he would like to see policymakers focus on in the next 12 months. Dr. Fahd Ali is Assistant Professor and Dean of Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the Information Technology University. Dr. Fahd Ali did his PhD in Economics from The New School for Social Research. He also has an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, and two Masters in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences and University of Utah, respectively. His research interests lie in macroeconomics and economic history with political economy as theme common to both. Before joining the Information Technology University, he was working at Habib University as an assistant professor in their Social Development Policy and policy programme. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:15 The IMF deal 16:10 Taxation challenges 36:50 Debt restructuring 52:00 Priorities for next 12 months 1:09:10 Reading recommendations Reading recommendations: - The Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze - Directorate S by Steve Coll

In this episode, Uzair talks to Ashok Malik about Modi’s visit to the United States and the future of US-India relations. We also talked about India’s foreign policy in the Middle East, and prospects of trade between India and Pakistan. Ashok Malik is a Partner at The Asia Group and Chair of its New Delhi-based subsidiary in India where he leads the firm’s in-market business strategy and services. Drawing on over 30 years of experience in government, media, and thought leadership Ashok is a recognized specialist on India’s policy landscape and the intersection of business and politics. Ashok advises clients on tailored strategies for market entry and expansion in India, enterprise level risk management and crisis mitigation. His areas of expertise include India’s foreign and trade policies and the government’s approach to international business, resilient supply chains and national capacities. Prior to joining TAG, Ashok served for three years (2019-22) as Policy Advisor/Additional Secretary in India’s Ministry of External Affairs. In that capacity, he worked closely with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and others in the senior leadership of the Ministry to help shape and explain India’s foreign policy in a crucial and eventful period for the international system. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:30 Key takeaways from Modi’s US visit 25:46 India’s foreign policy in the Middle East 39:20 Future of India-Pakistan relations

In this episode, Uzair talks to Mahim Maher about her career in journalism and digital media, what she found covering the problems of Karachi, and things that aspiring and young journalists should focus on. Mahim most recently served as a digital editor at Aaj and has several years of experience across multiple news organizations in Pakistan. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:50 Mahim’s career trajectory 11:43 What ails Karachi? 32:04 State of digital media in Pakistan 48:40 Advice for aspiring journalists Reading Recommendations: For giving yourself permission to write detail: White Noise by Don Delillo A Sport and Pastime by James Salter Anything by Ian McEwan For the nuts and bolts of journalism: Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why it Matters Now by Alan Rusbridger who oversaw The Guardian’s digital transformation Editor: An Inside Story of Newspapers by Max Hastings for what to look for in an editor or how to mould one’s principles to become one For deeper study of writing and editing: Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction by Jack Hart for an advanced study of how to approach longform in a sophisticated way The Accidental Life: An Editor’s Notes on Writing and Writers by Terry McDonell for behind the scenes wisdom on editing writers

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Tanvi Madan about how India is dealing with a rising China and the current state of India-China relations. We also talked about what tensions between India and China mean for the country’s relations with the United States. Dr. Tanvi Madan is a senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy in the Foreign Policy program, and director of The India Project at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. Dr. Madan’s work explores India’s role in the world and its foreign policy, focusing in particular on India's relations with China and the United States. She also researches the U.S. and India’s approaches in the Indo-Pacific, as well as the development of interest-based coalitions, especially the Australia-India-Japan-U.S. Quad. Dr. Madan is the author of the book “Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relations during the Cold War” Reading recommendations: - How China Sees India by Shyam Saran - The Long Game by Vijay Gokhale - Smoke and Mirrors by Pallavi Iyer - India’s China Challenge by Ananth Krishnan Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:10 Current state of affairs between India and China 9:20 India’s diplomacy around Chinese debt 16:55 Modi’s trip to Washington 25:15 Anti-Americanism in India 35:06 India’s diplomacy in East Asia 42:30 Trends to watch out for 50:05 Reading recommendations

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Hassan Abbas about his latest book, The Return of the Taliban: Afghanistan After the Americans Left. 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 has also authored The Prophet’s Heir: The Life of Ali ibn Abi Talib (Yale University Press, March 2021), and The Taliban Revival (Yale University Press, June 2014), which chronicles the Taliban’s survival and resurgence after 2001, through firsthand research and interviews in the area. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:37 Why did Kabul fall so quickly? 18:28 How did the Taliban evolve? 33:42 Pakistan’s role and impact on the country 53:26 Global impact of Taliban’s resurgence 1:04:57 Political instability in Pakistan and ethnic issues

In this episode, we dive deep into fiscal deficits in Pakistan and how they wreak economic havoc. In addition, we talk about the linkages between the fiscal deficit, higher interest rates, and external sector vulnerabilities. Dr. Derek H. C. Chen joined the World Bank in 2000 where he has held a number of positions. Currently, he is the Senior Economist for Pakistan, based at the World Bank office in Islamabad. He oversees the macroeconomics and fiscal programs and leads the production of various economic reports at the Islamabad office, including the most recent Pakistan Federal Public Expenditure Review 2023. You can read the Pakistan Federal Public Expenditure Review (PER) 2023 here - https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099041223153536828#/P17507702d44490bd0bb660b4b60037e930 Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:30 Why are deficits so high? 8:50 Impact of these deficits 16:40 Links between economic instability and deficits 22:40 Government spending issues 26:10 Subsidies for the rich 32:20 Recommendations to solve this

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Ilhan Niaz about what is going on in Pakistan today and what we can learn from history to understand the present and what may come in the future. We also talked about why the political class is morally bankrupt, how the judiciary has ceded space, and why the military has been able to reassert itself in the country’s political economy. Dr. Niaz is chair of the history department at the Quaid-e-Azam University and author of several books, including The State During the British Raj: Imperial Governance in South Asia, 1700-1947. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 0:55 Understanding the present 8:10 How the military draws power 16:26 The supreme court’s role today 27:15 Maintaining unity among civilians 32:15 Has Khan awakened the masses? 40:37 Scenarios for the future 46:05 The role of geopolitical rents 50:54 Is Shehbaz the worst PM in history?

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Ayyaz Malick about the ongoing crises in Pakistan and where he sees things going. Dr. Malick is a university lecturer, with research interests in Marxist and post-/anti-colonial theory. He has recently written a must-read essay on the ongoing crisis which can be read at the link below. https://jacobin.com/2023/05/imran-khan-arrest-pakistan-politics-crisis-military-alienation-ruling-class-oppression Tweet on military lands for agriculture - https://twitter.com/Benazir_Shah/status/1660897023531585539?s=20 Previous discussion with Ayyaz - https://youtu.be/_Qv0GrxM0-Y Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:40 Framework for understanding the crises 17:20 Shifting alliances and the importance of May 9 33:00 Why are PTI leaders leaving so quickly? 55:23 Role of the PDM parties in this and future scenarios 1:19:25 Can a savior like Khan save Pakistan? Reading Recommendations: - Antonio Gramsci - On the Southern Question (for understanding hegemony and how ruling classes rule) - Aijaz Ahmad - Lineages of the Present (for understanding Bonapartism, Bhuttoism, and fascism in South Asian politics) - Gyorgy Lukacs, History and Class Consciousness (for understanding structural blindness of ruling classes i.e. why elites cannot reform themselves)