Agriculture has always been the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. In 1947, most of the land was concentrated in the hands of large landlords, while peasants were denied equal rights. The first major attempt at reform came in the 1960s under General Ayub Khan, who introduced a land reform programme aimed at redistributing land from big landlords to small farmers. However, these reforms largely fai
Though we have celebrated 78 years of independence, our economic independence falls short with every new International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. Under the National Tariff Policy 2025–30, Pakistan plans to gradually flatten its customs regime by normalising commercial imports of used vehicles, liberalising trade and reducing protection for industries that failed to scale. Under this new
With the current auto policy soon expiring in June 2026, it is unfortunate that targets fixed under it between 2007 and 2025 have remained largely unmet owing to multiple reasons, but primarily due to the lack of consistent implementation by the government of its own policies. As per a report prepared by the Pakistan Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers Association (Paapam), the low d
Pakistan’s present geoeconomic and geopolitical position appears well placed to benefit from the emerging “non-hegemonic multilateral” world order — this was the core message echoed at the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. However, whether the country can consolidate this position in the years ahead will largely depend on two factors: the ability of the politica
With massive floods posing a serious threat to the economy, prompting forecasts of GDP growth falling during FY26 and amidst a debate on whether new provinces should be created or local bodies should be democratically empowered, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has stressed the need for a robust third tier of government. Addressing the Senate on Sept 1, he said, “A comprehensive and robus