Research

A few weeks ago, I asked three friends to design a T-shirt for a city marathon using any AI tool they liked. One is a banker in Karachi, one is a designer in Dubai, and one is a student in Toronto. None of them spoke to each other.All three came back with almost the same design: ...

Pakistan's long-stalled Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline is back in focus as analysts say cheaper pipeline gas could lower electricity costs, reduce supply shortages and strengthen energy security, provided sanctions are eased and the two countries reach a new pricing agreement.The pro...

A Trillion-Rupee BurdenIn fiscal year 2024-25, the federal government's pension bill crossed the PKR 910 Bn, up from PKR 821 Bn the previous year, and a staggering jump from just PKR 245 Bn in 2016-17. Growing at an average of 19% per annum, this liability is projected to double ...

When a government faces a yawning fiscal deficit, the path of least resistance is rarely the right one.For Pakistan, that path has increasingly been the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL), a per-liter charge on petrol and diesel that raises billions without requiring the political ...

On the 27th of April, while major central banks, such as the US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank (ECB), and the Bank of England, all sat on their hands, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) did something it hadn't done in nearly two years: it raised interest rates for the f...

Pakistan has done something it has not managed in nearly a quarter century: post a fiscal surplus.Data shared by the Ministry of Finance shows that Pakistan posted a fiscal surplus of PKR 542 billion for the July-December period (the first half of fiscal year 2025-26). That marks...

Pakistan’s trade with the European Union remains a central pillar of its external commerce. In FY25, Pakistan’s export earnings to the EU reached $8.8 billion, marking a 7.4% increase over the prior year.Pakistan’s heavy reliance on textilesPakistan’s export profile to the EU rem...

Pakistan’s trade with the European Union remains a central pillar of its external commerce. In FY25, Pakistan’s export earnings to the EU reached $8.8 billion, marking a 7.4% increase over the prior year.Pakistan’s heavy reliance on textilesPakistan’s export profile to the EU rem...

A few months ago, Nukta posted a video that became quite popular. It stated that Pakistan’s biggest asset was, in fact, not in Pakistan. That asset was overseas Pakistanis, who remain the single most important source of foreign exchange stability for the country. In fiscal year 2...

A few months ago, Nukta posted a video that became quite popular. It stated that Pakistan’s biggest asset was, in fact, not in Pakistan. That asset was overseas Pakistanis, who remain the single most important source of foreign exchange stability for the country. In fiscal year 2...