Pakistonomy

In this episode we talk about Mexico’s ongoing economic growth story, which has taken off due to increasing investments in light of the US-China competition. Uzair talks to Beatriz Navarro about what’s going on in the country, its politics, and the expectations around the upcoming elections.

Beatriz is a lawyer and international public affairs specialist. She also served as an appointed diplomat at the Mexican Embassy in the United States. She currently serves as Senior Public Sector Specialist for the World Bank Group. Beatriz has published several articles for the Inter-American Development Bank on accountability and social development in Latin America.

Reading recommendations:

- The labyrinth of solitude by Octavio Paz

- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Hariri

- The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:20 Why are companies investing in Mexico?

11:50 AMLO and his politics

41:20 Growing role of military in Mexico

50:09 Electoral outlook

58:10 Reading recommendations

In this episode, Uzair talks to Ammar Khan about the ongoing electricity and dollar crises in the country. We also touch on ways to resolve these issues and why they are linked to competence and willingness to make decisions.

Ammar has written extensively on these topics and you can read some of his pieces using the links below:

- https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=ammar+khan+atlantic+council+infrastructure&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

- https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1104195-how-to-make-electricity-affordable

- https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1106254-need-for-radical-ideas

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:30 Understanding the power crisis

17:34 Dollar rate and smuggling

26:30 Demonetization and disrupting the system

35:14 NICVD and healthcare

In this episode, Uzair talks to Khurram Husain about what is going on with the rupee and why money supply growth is actually the real driver of the ongoing weakness of the currency. We also talk about why Khurram has a bleak outlook for the economy, what it will take to stop the vicious cycle, and his views on the SIFC.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:25 What is causing PKR weakness?

20:15 Political impact of the adjustment

27:00 How to stop the vicious cycle?

34:40 Views on SIFC

41:10 Conclusion

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Asfandyar Mir about the evolving political and security situation in Afghanistan. We also talked about the terror landscape in the country and its impact on regional powers. Finally, we talked about the growing terror threat in Pakistan and why the Afghan Taliban have been unwilling to stop the TTP from using Afghan soil to target Pakistsan.

Dr. Mir is a senior expert in the South Asia program at USIP and his research interests include the international relations of South Asia, U.S. counterterrorism policy and political violence — with a regional focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

You can read his article here - https://www.usip.org/publications/2023/08/two-years-under-taliban-afghanistan-terrorist-safe-haven-once-again

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:50 The overall situation in Afghanistan

18:50 The terror landscape in the region

38:45 Why is the TTP finding havens?

46:40 Reasons for confusion in Pakistan

57:20 Politics in Pakistan and its impact

In this episode, Uzair talks to Ammar Ali Jan about the last five years of democratic rule in Pakistan, the outlook for the next twelve months, and why the country is likely to face growing instability. We also talked about Ammar’s own political work in Lahore and why left-wing politics is necessary as an alternative means to engage people at the grassroots level.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:20 Democratic backsliding in Pakistan

14:30 Outlook for the next 12 months

21:16 The left’s political agenda

34:40 Culture of resistance in Pakistan

40:10 Reading recommendations

Reading Recommendations

- How China Escaped Shock Therapy by Isabella Weber

In this episode, Uzair talks to Mutaher Khan about the state of Pakistan’s startup ecosystem and the outlook for the next 12-18 months. Mutaher is a technology and business journalist, and co-founder of Data Darbar.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:45 State of the ecosystem

18:18 Why did big startups collapse?

29:05 Talent demand for tech

40:50 Impact of legislation and policy

52:20 Outlook for next 12 months

1:01:50 Reading recommendations

Reading recommendations:

- India Wins Freedom by Maulana Azad

- Cornered Tiger by Adam Licudi and Wasim Raja

- Patras Kay Mazameen by Patras Bokhari

Access to quality healthcare is a major challenge across Pakistan. This is especially true for those of us who are abroad and need to find quality healthcare for our loved ones back home. Human-Healthcare aims to solve this problem, providing a one-stop concierge service for healthcare needs in the country.

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Atif Zafar about the startup, how and why it was founded, and the ways in which it is providing quality care in the country. We also talked about some of the challenges the team has faced, and the plans for growth.

Atif Zafar is a physician leader originally from Karachi, Pakistan. He is trained in the US including at the Cleveland Clinic. He is currently working as the chief of the stroke program at a major university hospital in Toronto. He is also a faculty, teaching medical students, residents, and fellows at the University of Toronto.

He has built clinical programs both in the US and Canada. His latest effort is very unique. The startup human-healthcare.com has been launched in Karachi where overseas Pakistanis can get their family experience VIP medical care at home under the supervision of US, UK, and Canada-based specialists.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:30 Vision and mission

11:45 What has worked and not worked?

19:10 Recruiting talent and building the ecosystem

24:10 How to get their services?

35:10 Providing specialist services to patients

41:20 Growth strategy

44:33 Reading recommendations

Reading recommendations:

- Antifragile by Nassim Taleb

- Presuasion by Robert Cialdini

- The Evolution of Cooperation by Robert Axelrod

We have talked a lot about the role of Pakistani elites in the ongoing crises the country is facing, but not a whole lot on the role of the international order in influencing elite choices and Pakistan’s political economy. In this episode, Uzair talks to Azeema Cheema about the global drivers of Pakistan’s prolonged crises and the ways in which international actors have encouraged autocracy in the country.

Azeema Cheema is a Founding Director at Verso Consulting, a Pakistan-based collective of practitioners, where she leads the portfolio on Conflict, Fragility and Violence. Azeema has over seventeen years of experience as a researcher with civil society organizations, governments and international organizations focusing on political economy, social cohesion, and conflict in Pakistan.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:00 Global elites and their role

15:15 War and Pakistan

24:20 Why didn’t Pakistan end up like Korea?

38:30 Current situation and scope for reform

49:46 Reading recommendations

Reading recommendations:

- Under the Gun: Political Parties and Violence in Pakistan by Nilofer Siddiqui

- The Culture of Power and Governance in Pakistan by Ilhan Niaz

In this episode, Uzair talks to Adnan Ansari about India’s Digital Data Protection Bill and what it means for internet users in the country. We also talked about the impact of this legislation on businesses and the investments India is looking to make in Digital Public Infrastructure.

Adnan Ahmad Ansari is an Associate Vice President with The Asia Group’s South Asia Practice. Adnan brings extensive strategic advisory experience in helping clients advance their business and policy interests in India. Before joining TAG, Adnan was an Associate Vice President at 9.9 Insights, the independent strategic adviser to the Dentons Global Advisers-Albright Stonebridge Group in India. Adnan spent close to seven years at 9.9, working with Indian and international corporations across sectors.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:00 Background of this legislation

13:03 Key features of the Bill

25:00 Impact on tech companies

32:45 Mindset shift for companies

38:14 Other policy changes impact tech

45:36 India’s DPI strategy

In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Fahd Ali about the recent deal Pakistan reached with the IMF and what comes next. We also talked at length about the taxation challenges in Pakistan, whether the country needs debt restructuring, and what he would like to see policymakers focus on in the next 12 months.

Dr. Fahd Ali is Assistant Professor and Dean of Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the Information Technology University. Dr. Fahd Ali did his PhD in Economics from The New School for Social Research. He also has an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, and two Masters in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences and University of Utah, respectively. His research interests lie in macroeconomics and economic history with political economy as theme common to both.

Before joining the Information Technology University, he was working at Habib University as an assistant professor in their Social Development Policy and policy programme.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:15 The IMF deal

16:10 Taxation challenges

36:50 Debt restructuring

52:00 Priorities for next 12 months

1:09:10 Reading recommendations

Reading recommendations:

- The Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze

- Directorate S by Steve Coll