This year’s World Economic Forum is celebrated as an exclusive gathering of the world’s politicians, business moguls and opinion leaders.  They were assembled to share their ideas for a better global economy. Conferences like these are a talking shop where mindsets are influenced, policies refined, promises made, deals agreed and opportunities realised.  The venue for this important conference is Davos, …

It was the year 2002; Boston was shut down due to heavy snowfall and my lecture for a new course that I was teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had been rescheduled. I decided to stay in my apartment and use the time to complete a proposal for my dream project; starting a research university in technology in …

Enum Naseer  The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) recent agreement to cut production by 1.2 million barrels a day starting January spells a disaster for oil-importing economies like Pakistan. Non-members, including Russia, have also agreed to pitch in by reducing output by a combined 558,000 barrels a day — to formalise the cooperation, a deal was struck between OPEC …

Aftab Afzal Ranjha The world historians often discuss the events which propelled mass migration in the sub-continent and across the board genocide in the region during the closing days of the British raj. A trail of conspiracies by the Indian National Congress started when it was confirmed that division of the subcontinent was inevitable and imminent. In a state of …

Alauddin Masood Events that led to President General Yahya’s hurried exit on December 17, 1971 Events that unnerved President General Yahya Khan resulting in his hurried resignation from the position of President of Pakistan, Chief Martial Law Administrator and Army Chief on December 17, 1971, were reportedly directed by none other than the Chief of General Staff in GHQ, General …

Dr Ikramul Haq, Huzaima Bukhari Unless the government goes for lower taxes with broader tax base, tax collection will remain far below the potential  The prevailing tax system is unjust, outmoded and unproductive — with high taxes, yielding low revenues and operationally complex, time-consuming and costly. Even after making tall claims of extraordinary improvements, the revenues are falling below the targets. …

By Usman Ansari Much has been written about how the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project will turn Pakistan’s fortunes around merely by being a transit for raw materials and energy resources to western China. There is the notion that Gwadar will become a ‘new Dubai’, a glimmering El Dorado on the shores of the Arabian Sea and the source of untold …

By Muhammad Azam Khan Earlier, last year the security of Gwadar port was entrusted to Pakistan Navy. The task has since been conscientiously executed via an agile and efficient Marine battalion of the navy. Sited roughly 635 km from Karachi and 120 km from the Iranian border by road, Pakistan’s strategic port of Gwadar constitutes what may be called “bedrock” of …

By Hussain Ahmad Siddiqui There are 92 most wanted high-profile Pakistani human traffickers, according to the latest edition of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s “Red Book-2016”, who are declared as proclaimed offenders and absconders. The Red Book provides their pictures and detailed particulars; whereas it also mentions the names of another 58 most wanted human traffickers arrested by the FIA …

By Abdul Qadir Memon Published: December 18, 2016 HONG KONG: “Arguing against globalisation is like arguing against the laws of gravity,” said Kofi Annan, former United Nations’ Secretary General. The recent political developments in the US and the EU give an impression that this argument against globalisation seems to be gaining popular support. From the UK referendum on Brexit to …