Not a Single Political Party Supports Land Reforms in Pakistan

In recent years, we have suffered from the implementation of new policies and of a new development model based on land expansion and land expropriation, commonly known as land grabbing. Land grabbing is a global phenomenon led by local, national and transnational elites and investors, with the participation of governments and local authorities, in order [...]

Pakistanis Should Get Prepared to Pay More Taxes

Tax rates proposed for the next budget will increase the burden on low-income salaried people by more than six times. The salaried people with annual taxable income of less than Rs400,000 but more than Rs350,000 will pay income tax at the proposed rate of 10 per cent instead of the present 1.50 per cent. Monthly [...]

Consumers Paid 39 Billion as Taxes to Mobile Companies

The telecom sector has become biggest utility services consumed by customers of various income level in different parts of the country as they paid Rs 39.828 billion on the account of taxes on telephony services in the first half of current financial year 2011-12. According to the FBR statistics, it collected Rs 24.058 billion GST/FED [...]

Why the Decline of the West is Best For Us – And Them

By R Vaidyanathan, Professor of Finance, IIM Bangalore. Ten years ago, America had Steve Jobs, Bob Hope and Johnny Cash. Now it has no Jobs, no Hope and no Cash. Or so the joke goes. Only, it’s no joke. The line is pretty close to reality in the US. The less said about Europe the [...]

Economic Crisis is Because World is Living Beyond its Means

Now that Europe’s debt crisis is unfolding all around us, shouldn’t we question why the world is determined to live beyond its means and not worry how it sabotages our common future? The debt crisis is a mere symptom of a deeper malaise. The fact is that countries, private companies and individual households can run [...]

The Top Ten Richest Persons of Pakistan

At the top position we have Mian Muhammad Mansha Yaha who has the worth of $2.5 billion and he is a Businessman. He has around 40 companies on board and owns Muslim Commercial Bank. He is still on the move but according to his friends he doesn’t show off. 2: Asif Ali Zardari Asif Ali [...]

IMF: Pakistan’s GDP Growth Rate is Only 2.6%

The IMF expects Pakistan’s 2011-12 fiscal deficit to widen to 6.5 per cent of gross domestic product The IMF Outlook for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP) also forecasts GDP growth of 2.6 per cent for Pakistan in the fiscal year ending in June 2012, compared with the government’s target of 4.2 [...]

Rail Line to Connect Gilgit with Xinjiang

Pakistan and China have started discussion on building a cross-border railway linking northern areas of Gilgit with Kashgar, an old Chinese Silkroad townin the restive northwestern Xinjiang province. A feasibility study of the railway had been conducted but there was still no time-table for starting the construction. By using this option, you can shorten China’s [...]

Manipulating the Figures is Not Going to Solve the Poverty Problem

Controversy regarding poverty figures currently preoccupy Pakistan. As a nation we refuse to accept realities and love to always remain in the denial mood. We blame others for our own wrongdoings — every trouble is handiwork of self-assumed alliance of Hunud (Hindus), Yahood (Jews) and Nasara (Christians) against us! There is a consensus that we [...]

Easy Way to Understand the Problem with the US Economy

An interesting way to express the true reason, in quantitative terms, underlying the US downgrade. The situation currently is: *   US income is        -   $2,170,000,000,000 *   Federal Budget      -   $3,820,000,000,000 *   New debt            -   $1,650,000,000,000 *   National debt [...]