Khurram Husain

State Bank blues

RIGHT about now the State Bank is getting ready to prepare its monetary policy statement due to be announced on October 5. Published 26 Sep, 2012 09:03pm

PTI’s amateur hour

IF you need any proof that Mr Imran Khan is not ready to wield power, much less execute complex ‘plans’ for the economic revival of this country, look no further than the conundrum in which he finds himself in the ongoing talks on selecting an interim pri Published 20 Sep, 2012 12:10am

To stand and deliver

HE’S got quite the story, but nobody to tell it to. Last week, Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh and I sat down for dinner and a chat, accompanied by the secretary finance. Published 13 Sep, 2012 12:10am

Economy uncertain as elections loom

Does Pakistan have sufficient reserves to prevent a dramatic slide in the value of the rupee over the course of the next nine to ten months? Published 09 Sep, 2012 03:03am

Bring on the bandages

IF reports are true, and there are lots of indications that they are, the government is getting ready to lift more than a couple of bucketfuls from the banks to square all receivables in the power sector and prepare to bring loadshedding down in the time Published 06 Sep, 2012 01:03am

Robin Hood economics

NOW don’t get me wrong. I’m all for “recovering looted wealth” and I’m all for using the proceeds to help educate our youth. Published 30 Aug, 2012 03:03am

In aid of Gilgit-Baltistan

ALL through the Eid holidays, my mind has been on the Northern Areas. Published 23 Aug, 2012 02:03am

State Bank bleats

WHAT do you call it when your words are contradicted by your deeds? I’m pretty sure whatever the word, it’s a very unkind one. Published 16 Aug, 2012 12:10am

Telecoms and the taxman’s noose

Long the darlings of the new economy, mobile phone companies today find themselves caught in the taxman’s noose. Published 09 Aug, 2012 08:01pm

Mirages and miracles

THERE are many ‘water cars’ amongst us, even though Mr Waqar’s little contraption is hardly likely to find a buyer now. Published 09 Aug, 2012 01:03am

Political clout of business groups

“THE problem with the fertiliser sector is that it doesn’t enjoy political clout like textile and many other lobbies do,” said Naz Khan, the newly inducted chief financial officer of Engro, while discussing the corporation’s plan to ask for an extension o Published 02 Aug, 2012 12:10am

Our overland trade links

CAN Pakistan’s overland trade links eventually grow to compete with Karachi as conduits for the country’s imports? Published 26 Jul, 2012 02:03am

Imagining isolation

FOR a country with very weak fundamentals, we are playing in a league beyond our capacity. Published 05 Jul, 2012 03:03am

Power and politics

DECISIONS made in the dead of night seldom speak of clean intentions. Published 28 Jun, 2012 12:10am

The many faces of power

We have a crisis of the state on our hands, and that crisis grows directly and unambiguously. Published 20 Jun, 2012 10:04pm

The ghost in the machine

THIS is one pun I’m not apologising for. For years now it’s been strongly suspected that a practice known as ‘ghost billing’ is rampant in our power sector. Published 13 Jun, 2012 09:03pm

Glass half full at SBP

LOOKS like they’re having problems with their audio system over there at the State Bank. It’s getting a little hard to tell which song they’re playing. Published 07 Jun, 2012 12:10am

Covering the budget

IT’S budget time and the channels are abuzz with activity. For the next three days this will be all there is on air, an annual ritual that comes with a flurry and disappears just as quickly. Published 30 May, 2012 10:05pm

Towards the debt trap

"If you cannot raise the revenues to pay for your government, your country won’t be yours to govern for very long." Published 30 May, 2012 12:00am

The government’s last budget

When Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh stands up to deliver the budget speech on June 1st, in a sense he will be making history. Published 29 May, 2012 12:00am