Economic Affairs & National Development

Aligning Macroeconomic Stability with Economic Growth Priorities

The outgoing Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 was a transitional period for Pakistan’s economy. According to the Finance Division’s monthly ‘Economic Update and Outlook July 2024’, progress was observed across multiple domains, setting the basis

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Emerging technologies

Data-Driven Election Campaigns: Protecting Voter Privacy

Over the past several years, data has been utilised to facilitate election campaigns in various countries, but the multifaceted notion of Data-Driven Campaigns (DDC) has become more prevalent in recent years. With elections scheduled for more than  60 countries in 2024 (with 44 countries having already voted,

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India

Chinars in Chains : India’s Siege of Jammu and Kashmir

Following the landslide victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 Indian General Elections, the government led by Narendra Modi swiftly announced revocation of the special status of Jammu & Kashmir by repealing Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution on 5 August 2019. More than five years on, the Muslim majority of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continues to

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Economic Affairs & National Development

Multiple-Central Bank Digital Currency Platforms : An Alternative to the Dollar-Based Payment System?

The United States Dollar (USD) has long enjoyed the ‘exorbitant privilege’ of being at the centre of the international financial and trade system, serving as the dominant currency for holding financial assets and facilitating cross-border payments. The dollar-based international payment system has three major components:

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Emerging technologies

Shifting Dynamics: Brain Chips as the Next Battlefield  

Composed of 86 billion neurons, the human brain is nothing short of an absolute marvel. This composite cobweb is slowly but surely becoming a technological hotspot, with massive funds poured to detect and record its activity and synergise it with smart devices, a phenomenon called Brain-Chip Interface (BCI).

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Economic Affairs & National Development

Fixing Pakistan’s Budget

The question of fiscal sustainability has long haunted the Federal Budget of Pakistan. As deficits have widened over consecutive years, reform efforts have been piecemeal and trivial at best, and counterproductive at worst. What Pakistan’s budgetary architecture requires, however, is a systematic overhaul. By contrast,

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Strategic Foresight

Democracy in the 21st Century:Exploring Contemporary Trends

In the aftermath of the Cold War, a wave of democratisation, coined by American political scientist Samuel Huntington as the ‘Third Wave’ swept across the world. The wave refers to the transition of several non-democratic setups to democratic ones, promising a future where democratic ideals would grow.

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Cyber

Cyberspace as a Global Common : Formulation and Applicability of International Law

In the modern digital age, cyberspace has become an integral part of daily life. However, as cyberspace transcends physical borders, it poses unique challenges to traditional legal frameworks. Understanding cyberspace as a ‘global common’ and the applicability of international law within this realm is crucial for ensuring security, stability, and cooperation in the digital domain. To address these critical issues,

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