Pakistonomy

Pakistan’s cities are choking on smog, with the cities in Punjab including Lahore being the worst impacted. In this episode, Uzair talks to Abid Omar about what is causing this air pollution crisis in the country and what can be done about it.

Abid Omar is the founder of the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative, which provides community-driven air quality data and resources to increase social awareness.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:30 What is going on?

12:10 Transportation’s impact

26:20 Things that can be done to solve the crisis

42:50 Do we need more data?

Reading recommendations:

- Factfulness by Hans Rosling

- The Economics of Air Pollution in China by Ma Jun

- A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

Uzair talks to Shadi Hamid on the US elections and the difficult choice American-Muslims are having to make in this cycle given the choices on offer. Shadi shared his own thoughts on how the Biden administration utterly failed when it comes to stopping the ongoing orgy of violence in Gaza. We also talk about why Kamala Harris has failed to engage with the community during the campaign, and the threat Trump represents to both Arab and Muslim lives at home and abroad.

Shadi Hamid is a columnist at the Washington Post and author of the book The problem of democracy: America, the Middle East, and the rise and fall of an idea. He also co-hosts the podcast The Wisdom of Crowds.

Episode Links:

- https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/shadi-hamid/

- https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Democracy-America-Middle-East/dp/0197579469

- https://wisdomofcrowds.live/podcast

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

3:00 Is this an inflection point for Muslim-Americans?

11:28 Democrats v. Republicans

18:10 Why do people think Trump is better?

24:50 Democrat’s failure to engage

32:45 US policy on democracy

40:15 Nuance and politics

44:25 Engaging on foreign policy

50:29 Conclusion

Reading recommendations:

- Light Years by James Salter

- The Study Quran

Uzair talks to Nayyera Haq about the upcoming U.S. elections and what it means for the country, especially for immigrants and members of the American-Pakistani diaspora. We talked about the recent endorsement by PAKPAC for Donald Trump, the impact of the war in Gaza on voters, and scenarios for election night.

Nayyera Haq is a seasoned communications strategist, speaker, and former White House Senior Director and diplomat known for her expertise in helping leaders communicate powerfully and authentically. As a respected political commentator, she regularly appears on outlets like CNN and MSNBC discussing global affairs, culture, and policy.

Nayyera also hosts of the TrailBlaze podcast and talk radio on SiriusXM, where she amplifies diverse perspectives and thought leadership. With her dynamic career at the intersection of journalism and communication, Nayyera is a trusted voice in shaping public narratives.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:45 Pakistanis supporting Trump

13:55 Muslim-Americans and Gaza

25:50 State of the political race

33:10 Countering Trump rigging allegations

37:35 Future of the Republicans

45:15 Future of the Democrats

51:45 Elections and foreign policy

In this episode, Uzair has a broad conversation with Fasi Zaka about whats going on in Pakistan with the recent student protests, the constitutional amendments, and the state of the broader information ecosystem. We also talked about two of the weirdest amendments being discussed as part of the proposed constitutional amendments and what they mean for Pakistan.

Fasi Zaka is a Pakistani political commentator, columnist, radio talk show host, and television anchor.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

3:20 What’s going on in the PTI?

19:20 Rape allegations and protests

31:20 Media ecosystem and regulations

52:01 Pakistani diaspora supports Trump?

1:00:10 Gaza and the media

1:06:15 Constitutional amendments

Political tensions continue to brew in Pakistan, with the Sharif government facing issues both in Islamabad and in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In this episode, Uzair talks to Arifa Noor about the latest political developments in Pakistan. Arifa Noor is a journalist with Dawn and host of the shows Newswise.

We covered what going on with the announcement to ban and then un-ban the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), why the Tehreek-e-Insaf is facing challenges in achieving its goals via protests, and the reasons for the PML-N’s growing confidence in the economy.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:30 PTM ban

21:20 PTI protests and its impact

28:10 Centers of power in Pakistan

36:53 Economic stability and PML-N’s confidence

51:25 Bilawal’s role in constitutional amendment

The world seems like it is staring into the abyss, with conflicts breaking out across Eurasia. Does this mean that we are entering a new global conflict where the three great powers – the United States, Russia, and China – are entering into direct conflict? What role are smaller powers such as Israel and Iran, playing in all of this? And what do the political systems in the great powers tell us about what comes next?

These are the big questions that Dr. Kamran Bokhari tries to answer in this conversation. Dr. Kamran Bokhari is the Senior Director of the Eurasian Security and Prosperity portfolio at the New Lines Institute. He served as Director of the Analytical Development Department from 2019 to 2023. Dr. Bokhari is also a national security and foreign policy specialist at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute.

Some of the recent pieces of analyses he has written are worth a read:

- https://newlinesinstitute.org/political-systems/post-khamenei-iran-the-future-of-evolutionary-regime-change/

- https://geopoliticalfutures.com/irans-regional-position-is-crumbling/

- https://geopoliticalfutures.com/southwest-asias-shatter-belt/

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:45 Are we in a third world war?

13:10 Evolution of warfare

22:10 Role of smaller powers

31:30 Critiquing the Washington Beltway consensus

43:30 Assessing China and Russia

59:02 Future scenarios

1:15:30 US elections and foreign policy

In this episode, Uzair talks Khurram Husain about the recent agreement between Pakistan and the IMF, which has secured a 3-year $7 billion programme. We talked about what comes next for the economy and why the hard work is only just beginning.

In addition, we focused on Pakistan’s debt sustainability, with Khurram sharing his perspective on why restructuring debt is perhaps not the right path for the country at this point in time.

The articles we referred to in our conversation are linked below:

- https://www.dawn.com/news/1859741/shaky-stability

- https://www.dawn.com/news/1861209/and-audits-for-all

- https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2024/08/28/break-the-taboos-propping-up-unsustainable-debt-pleads-a-former-central-banker

- https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/pakistan-needs-public-debt-restructuring-by-sanjay-kathuria-1-2024-09

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

0:45 Debt restructuring for Pakistan

13:16 IMF agreement and its implications

22:55 Petrol prices and relief

29:10 Politics and the current status quo

36:25 Conclusion

In this episode, Uzair talks to Salahuddin Ahmed about the ongoing moves to amend Pakistan’s constitution and its drivers. We focused on the role of the Supreme Court, why the government is pushing through a new ordinance to change the court’s procedures, and the impact of political polarization on the superior judiciary.

We also talked about why these proposed changes matter to ordinary citizens, and the outlook for Pakistan’s democracy.

Salahuddin Ahmed is a lawyer and former president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association. He recently wrote a must-read piece on these proposed amendments which you can read here - https://www.dawn.com/news/1859376/constitutional-package-judicial-overhaul-or-national-suicide

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:10 Ordinance issued by government

19:10 What does the government want to achieve?

31:00 Politics and judiciary

36:50 Patronage and the courts

42:05 Why should citizens care?

56:30 Paving the way for authoritarian rule

Pakistan’s parliament has historically been one of the weakest institutions in the country, but even by those standards, events that transpired over this past week have set a new low. Masked men entered parliament and took away numerous PTI legislators, who were subsequently arrested by the police. This has caused an uproar across the country, with the PTI leading the charge in terms of talking about the sustained and accelerating decimation of the rule of law and democracy in the country.

In this episode, Uzair talks to Salman Akram Raja about what happened in parliament and what comes next. Mr. Raja is Secretary General of the PTI and a senior supreme court lawyer. We also talked about coalition building and how the PTI intends to reach out to other groups who have been protesting against similar violations for years.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:45 What happened in parliament?

8:30 Ways to strengthen parliament

13:50 Situation in the judiciary

20:45 What is the PTI’s overall engagement strategy?

26:10 Gandapur, divisions, and coalition building

31:40 PTI’s outreach to PTM and others

In this episode, Uzair talks to Tabarak Rehman who is attempting to become the first person ever to run 1,400 kilometers across the length of Pakistan to raise awareness around the country’s education crisis. His goal is to raise $1 million for The Citizens Foundation, an incredible non-profit that operates nearly 2,000 schools in Pakistan.

Tabarak is a New York-based Turnaround & Restructuring Consultant at AlixPartners, who’s also super passionate about educating Pakistani students. Through his social media, he has guided hundreds of Pakistani students toward higher education in the U.S., even helping secure over a million dollars in student loans for at least 30 of them.

His academic journey started from his boarding high school, Cadet College Hasan Abdal after which he went to IBA Karachi for his undergrad and then Northeastern University in Boston, where he earned his Master's degree. He also holds a CFA Charter.

You can support Tabarak’s cause here - https://fundraise.tcfglobal.org/fundraiser/384593207740/tabarak-runs-across-pakistan-for-education

Follow Tabarak’s run here - https://www.instagram.com/tabarakruns/

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

3:20 Tabarak’s journey

14:45 Resources for getting an education in the US

20:30 Running 1,400 kilometers

26:30 Training regimen

32:00 How to help

38:10 Reading recommendations

Reading recommendations:

- David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

- The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason

- Built to Last by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras