Pakistan's stock market has been a study in contrasts this year: pockets of bullish enthusiasm punctuated by sharp swings that leave investors – and policymakers – uneasy. The benchmark KSE-100 index, which began 2025 on a recovery path after a turbulent 2024, has repeatedly tested new highs and then surrendered large chunks of gains within days, illustrating how sensitive the Pakistan Stock Excha
Pakistan ranked 136 out of 167 in the Legatum Prosperity Index 2023. In the Index, Pakistan ranked 96 in Investment Environment and 102 in Enterprise Conditions, indicating that investors face barriers to starting and scaling industries. Legatum places Pakistan at 129 on Economic Quality, reflecting low industrial productivity and limited export diversification - evidence that our manufacturing
From oil and remittances to fintech and green sukuk, Muslim economies have evolved into a diversified global ecosystem. When we talk about the "Ummah economy," we refer not to one country or bloc but to a vast collective - the economic life of Muslim-majority nations and the global ecosystem built around Islamic finance, halal trade, sukuk markets, remittances, and diaspora capital flows. It is
The macroeconomic policy framework of successive regimes is composed of fiscal prudence and tight monetary policy to achieve low inflation rate. These so-called good macroeconomic fundamentals have hindered the desired structural change in the economy. These macroeconomic fundamentals have a great impact on the followings. Tight fiscal and monetary policies give rise to an over-valued rupee vis
Two important developments took place on the sidelines of the 28th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, late last month. They involved the world's two largest economies and reflected their contrasting approaches to global trade. China advanced its push for trade liberalisation and regional integration, upgrading its free trade agreement with th