Dr Miftah Ismail
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Past articles by Dr:
Hear, believe, think?
In a poll in 2015, 42 percent Americans erroneously believed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. If you recall, President George Bush went to war against Iraq for the purported reason that... → Read More
The midnight tirade
When I presented the budget last year, the PTI created a lot of ruckus – hungama – during my speech. Three MNAs were especially more enthusiastic, with Dr Shireen Mazari even trying to... → Read More
Incompetence is costly
Every year, the government of Pakistan publishes a report called the Economic Survey of Pakistan which details how our economy has performed over the last fiscal year. The survey has reams and reams... → Read More
Economic policy: where they went wrong
This fiscal year, July 2018 to June 2019, is proving to be the worst for our economy in decades. A year that filled many young Pakistanis with hope due to the start of the PTI’s government,... → Read More
Shattered dreams
I was in Barcelona on a business trip when I saw a street vendor selling a ball with a device. The device would pitch the ball about 60 feet in the air and then when the ball came down it would... → Read More
The IMF programme
On May 31, 2108, almost a year ago, when the PML-N government finished its term we left an economy that was growing at 5.8 percent and expected to grow faster in the next fiscal year. At that growth... → Read More
Looking at agriculture reforms
Whether in cotton or wheat, or many other agricultural products, the yield per acre in Pakistan is lower than both China and India. Our lower agricultural productivity means that Pakistani farmers... → Read More
PTI and the Dunning-Kruger effect
So perhaps PM Khan has been making these exaggerated promises because he never understood the complexity or difficulty of governance given his own lack of experience and competence in governance. He thus developed a false sense of his ability to solve complex problems in no time. This false sense of superiority and competence leads him to make these fanciful promises. → Read More
Big Bang, black holes and the march
China recently landed a probe on the far side of the moon. The moon both rotates on its axis and also revolves around Earth. Because it is very close to Earth, it has come into Earth’s... → Read More
The big economic ditch
Think of a company that has a total debt of Rs25,000 and undergoes a management change. A little while later under the new management the company has debt of Rs28,000. When the management is asked... → Read More
Our burden of history
A couple of years ago, there were riots in some Muslim neighbourhoods of Sri Lanka. Mobs of Buddhist Sinhalese were upset that their Tamil Muslim compatriots had supported the Pakistani cricket team... → Read More
Corruption and utopia
If I had to choose between a corrupt leader and an incompetent one, I’d choose the incompetent one every time. Integrity is the basic quality a leader must possess. But in a country of over... → Read More
A tale of two deals
It was the best of deals, it was the worst of deals, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair .Pakistani politics is infested with a tale of two deals these days. First is the... → Read More
A tribute to Dr Salam
Last week was the Pakistani Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam’s 93rd birth anniversary and since I was reading about his work I decided to write a column about science today.Whenever Dr Salam’s... → Read More
Dreams vs realities
I am lucky to have many friends who support different political parties but, more importantly, who understand that friendships are far more important than political affiliations. These days, though,... → Read More
The importance of the 18th Amendment
The constitution of Pakistan, as amended over the years, is now a federalist document that prescribes devolution of such powers and responsibilities to the provinces that can be reasonably and... → Read More
Missing leadership
One of the first things you learn in management is that you can delegate authority but you cannot delegate responsibility. Indeed, the central traits of effective leadership are to motivate your... → Read More
Loadshedding in the winter
When the PML-N won the 2013 elections, our country had debilitating power and gas shortages. PML-N leaders believed that the party won the elections on the back on Mian Nawaz Sharif’s general... → Read More
The PTI’s second mini-budget
The writer has served as federal minister for finance, revenue and economic affairs.Shortly after coming into power, Imran Khan’s government presented a ‘mini-budget’, which was... → Read More
A people’s resilience
Many rich democracies try to provide cradle-to-grave services to their citizens. From giving stipends to lactating mothers to giving pensions to senior citizens, governments try to ensure that... → Read More