2021

Recent Tax Developments 1. Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 Promulgated to Extend Tax Amnesty for Construction Sector On 19 January 2021, the President of Pakistan promulgated the Income Tax (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 (ITO 2021) to extend tax amnesty granted to construction sector to mitigate the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, especially on jobs. The ITO 2021, …

RCEP and Pakistan Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world’s biggest trade bloc that includes fifteen Asia-Pacific countries — 10 ASEAN economies along with China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia. It is larger than the European Union and the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. RCEP countries comprise almost one-third of the world’s population and account for about 30% of the …

Raast Digital Payment System A Critical Piece in the Financial Inclusion Jigsaw As a part of his Digital Pakistan Vision to include the poor segments of society in formal economy, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched, on January 11, the country’s first instant payment system – Raast. Developed by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), in collaboration with Bill and Melinda …

Police Reforms, Use of Force and Accountability in Pakistan The tome of official/semi-official literature on police reforms in Pakistan shows that it caters to two types of the reforms: ‘policy’ and ‘service delivery’. While ‘policy’ part of reforms alludes to larger systemic issues like police law, its inter-linkages with larger criminal justice system issues and organizational governance, the ‘service delivery’ …

Pakistan Military Strength

HEC’s New PhD Policy Patching the Bumpy Road to PhD The HEC’s new policy said that in case of students who are unable to complete the program within eight years, the university may designate a competent authority to determine whether the delay was caused by circumstances beyond the student’s control, and if so, grant an extension in such exceptional circumstances. …

Foreign Policy of Pakistan Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Forward Diplomacy is the tool for implementation of foreign policy. Growing inter-dependence, partnerships and cooperation are the imperatives in this age of globalization because economic strength and greater integration can be achieved only if viable global diplomatic outreach is ensured. In international relations, there are neither enduring animosities nor friendships; what …

FATA’s Merger with KP All kinds of criminals including drug dealers, smugglers, kidnappers and the groups of terrorists of various hues and colours made FATA their sanctuary and operated from there with impunity. The State of Pakistan neglected the region for seven decades that turned it into ungoverned spaces. As the State launched a war on homegrown terrorism and sought …

Devolution of Power and Pakistan’s history of local governments Historically, Pakistan has experienced several devolution stages. Interestingly, three local governments had been set up and controlled under the direct rule of military regimes. Later, through the 18th Amendment, a democratic setup devolved significant powers with ministerial portfolios to the provinces. The real essence of devolution of power Devolution refers to …

Biden and Washington’s Perennial Pakistan Problem It’s time for a rethink The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States brings with it many a challenge for him, especially in the domain of foreign policy. An experienced hand on South Asia, he will have a different set of challenges as compared to the time when he …