Stories by Khurram Husain

Wrecking the provinces

Underlying the whole affair is the struggle over resources and who gets how much. Updated 06 Aug, 2026 08:41am

Here it comes

The confidence with which they are now moving ahead to roll out incentives suggests something has changed. Published 30 Jul, 2026 07:35am

Here come the dollars

The movements are now unmistakable. The preparation for bringing in large quantities of dollars are underway. Updated 23 Jul, 2026 09:24am

Caution: danger ahead

With rising discontentment at home leading to the spread of disaffection, the leadership is stuck in a quagmire. Updated 16 Jul, 2026 09:03am

The hardening state

Pegging the next generation of revenues that the state requires urgently to enhanced powers of enforcement and audit is a mistake. Updated 09 Jul, 2026 10:49am

World Bank and NFC Award

A new report shows how our fiscal-federalism problems are not, at root, technical failures to be fixed with better systems. Updated 02 Jul, 2026 07:48am

The promise of digital payments

The shift to digital means the largest money flows in the economy now leave trails. Updated 25 Jun, 2026 07:52am

After the war

Whether Tehran remembers us kindly and whether Washington decides to reward us handsomely are matters beyond our control. Updated 18 Jun, 2026 08:15am

Budgeting on hope

The budget offers relief today, but its revenue targets rest on a level of tax collection the government has yet to prove it can achieve. Updated 13 Jun, 2026 02:38pm

Cracks in the edifice

One has never seen the political class of this country as out of ideas as they are now. Updated 11 Jun, 2026 08:58am

The embrace of Nessus

A little more than a decade and a half ago Pakistan finally abandoned its last attempt to try and get serious tax reform through. Updated 04 Jun, 2026 08:23am

Dead reform conversation

Real reform is political and requires building agreement for change and explaining the costs and benefits to the public. Updated 21 May, 2026 08:12am

Faltering tax effort

You cannot grow your economy while the state is busy bleeding it to fulfil its own expenditure requirements. Updated 14 May, 2026 07:57am

The passing spectacle

The inability of the economy to supply and safeguard livelihoods is the real testing ground of this government. Published 07 May, 2026 07:56am

The shifting sands of Asia

Scholars and officials are intensely curious about Pakistan’s role in the current global firestorm. Updated 30 Apr, 2026 09:53am

How it ends

The Iranians have not yet made a clear demonstration of their leverage in this war. Updated 23 Apr, 2026 09:50am

Paper oil

Oil watchers are now wondering aloud whether active oil market manipulation has begun. Updated 16 Apr, 2026 09:20am

War and peace

The most ruinous war of our time was ended before it could escalate into a catastrophe. And Pakistan played the lead role in bringing this about. Updated 09 Apr, 2026 09:24am

Oil price shock incoming

Why have physical shortages taken so long to materialise? The answer is that the world started stockpiling oil in huge quantities through most of 2025. Updated 02 Apr, 2026 09:30am

Rising stakes

Country after country is struggling with a fuel crisis that is only going to intensify in the days ahead. Updated 26 Mar, 2026 09:35am