In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Erum Haider about her research on Karachi's water crisis. We talk about how people in the city get access to water, how this is a regressive system, and what are the political implications of this crisis. Dr. Erum Haider is an Assistant Professor in Political Science and Environmental Studies at the College of Wooster. Dr. Haider received her PhD from Georgetown University, Department of Government in 2020. She is currently a Research Fellow at the Mahbub ul H...
Nov 25, 2022•54 min
Venture capital is the fuel that powers an economy's innovation ecosystem, disrupting the old way of doing business and generating growth. In this episode, Uzair talks to Mohamed Eissa about the IFC's perspective on venture capital and the role the IFC is looking to play in Pakistan. Eissa talked about why Pakistan is an attractive market, what investments the IFC is going to make in the near-term, and why failure should be celebrated. Mohamed leads IFC’s Global Venture Capital and Direct Invest...
Nov 18, 2022•50 min
In this episode, Uzair talks to Marcello Estevão, who is the Global Director of the World Bank Group’s Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice (MTI). Marcello shares his perspective about the global economic outlook, why inflation is here to stay for a while, and what countries like Pakistan can do to navigate this tricky period. Marcello leads a large team of country economists, macroeconomists, and fiscal policy, debt, and macro-modeling experts. He is responsible for overseeing t...
Nov 10, 2022•33 min
The brutal murder of Arshad Sharif in Kenya has once again raised questins about free expression in Pakistan. While the details about the murder still remain murky, it is important to talk about how the state and its institutions exert influence over expression, particularly in the digital media domain. In this episode, Uzair talks to Ramsha Jahangir about digital media freedoms in Pakistan. Ramsha Jahangir is an award-winning journalist and an Erasmus Mundus scholar. Ramsha has extensively repo...
Oct 28, 2022•44 min
The recent comments by US President Joe Biden set off a short-lived firestorm in Pakistan, while also bringing front and center Pakistan's nuclear program and the safety of its weapons. In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Christopher Clary about Pakistan's nuclear weapons and their safety, discussing what the risks are and how Pakistan has invested in securing its nuclear weapons. Dr. Christopher Clary is an Assistant Professor of Political Science University at Albany. His research focuses on t...
Oct 21, 2022•53 min
Iran has been rocked by protests, which are currently in their fourth week. Nearly 200 people have died and thousands injured. Sparked by the brutal killing of Mahsa Amini, these protests are a sign that all is not well in the country. In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Neda Bolourchi about what is going on in Iran and the path forward for the country. Dr. Neda Balourchi is Associate Director and Post Doctoral Associate, Middle Eastern Studies Program at Rutgers University. Her research focuses...
Oct 14, 2022•1 hr 10 min
We are back after a brief hiatus and in this episode, Uzair talks to Khurram Husain about the return of Ishaq Dar, who is already making headlines and "shouting down the dollar." We talk about what Dar's return means, the recent FX scandal casting a dark shadow over banks, and whether any political party has a serious plan to deal with the ongoing economic crisis. Khurram Husain is a business and economy journalist who most recently served as editor of Profit Magazine. Chapters: 0:00 Introductio...
Oct 07, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Over 33 million people have been affected in the 2022 floods in Pakistan. The total estimated financial cost of damages and reconstruction is estimated to be over $16 billion, and this figure is going to rise in the coming days. In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Maira Hayat about this catastrophe, the need for solidarity among Global South countries, and the governance challenges that exist within Pakistan. Dr Maira Hayat is an assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame. This year she...
Sep 09, 2022•1 hr 19 min
The speculative bubble around crypto and Web3 has popped, but the innovation in this sector continues. In this episode, Uzair talks to Arsalan Khan about the ongoing innovation in the sector, touching on what excites him, the state of technical talent in Pakistan, and what other jurisdictions are doing. Arsalan had been in conventional finance for over 12 years working as a stock broker in Pakistan. He has been involved in crypto since 2017 and switched to web3 since mid 2021. He is currently wo...
Sep 02, 2022•51 min
Pakistan is underwater and its largest province in terms of land mass has been the hardest hit. In this episode, Uzair talks to Saad Dehwar Baloch about the current situation in the province, ongoing relief efforts, and the crisis of governance there. If you'd like to donate to flood relief in Pakistan, please consider the following organizations: https://www.facebook.com/wangorg/?ti=as https://images.dawn.com/news/1190723/help-people-affected-by-the-balochistan-floods-through-these-7-relief-org...
Aug 26, 2022•37 min
In this Urdu discussion, Uzair talks to Dr. Sajid Amin Javed about why the Pakistani rupee has been so volatile, the structural drivers of this weakness, and whether he believes the issues at hand go beyond the scope of economics. Dr. Javed is Deputy Executive Director at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Pakistan. Prior to joining to SPDI, he was Senior Research Fellow and Assistant Professor at Department of Economics, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). Chapt...
Aug 19, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Small businesses are the backbone of any economy. When they thrive, the economy grows, opportunity and jobs are created, and a culture of bottom-up innovation takes hold. In Pakistan, MSMEs face a tough time getting access to growth capital. Karandaaz Capital is changing this and this episode dives deep into how this change is happening. Uzair talks to Navid Goraya, who is Chief Investment Officer at Karandaaz Capital. He has over 25 years of global experience in asset management, investment str...
Aug 12, 2022•50 min
Where is the rupee headed? Will Pakistan default? In this episode, Uzair talks to Shahrukh Wani about the ongoing crisis in Pakistan, why this is just the latest episode of a long-term crisis, and what needs to change to get out of this. Shahrukh Wani is an economist at the International Growth Centre’s Cities that Work initiative based at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. In this role, he supports evidence-based urban economic policy reforms across Africa, the Middle Eas...
Aug 05, 2022•1 hr 7 min
The first episode of this year, way back in January 2022, discussed how politics will dominate the economy for the entirety of the year. In this episode, we take a look at how things have shaped up and what the path forward looks like for Pakistan’s chaotic and unstable political scene. This instability is having a disastrous impact on the country’s economy, and Uzair talks to Amber Rahim Shamsi about whether or not there is light at the end of the tunnel here. Amber Rahim Shamsi is Director of ...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr
There has been a flurry of negative news regarding Pakistan's startup ecosystem, with the collapse of Airlift being the biggest story of them all. In this episode, Uzair talks to Ali Farid Khwaja about what led to this collapse, whether this is the end of the boom, and how entrepreneurs and investors should navigate this cycle. Ali Farid Khwaja is Chairman of KTrade Security and has over a decade of experience in the technology and financial sectors.
Jul 22, 2022•40 min
Energy security has been a pipe-dream for Pakistan, with the country facing numerous economic and energy crises over its history. At its core, the issue revolves around failure to tap into domestic sources of energy in a way that benefits the country's economy. In this episode, Uzair talks to Amir Iqbal about Thar Coal and its potential to improve Pakistan's energy security. While coal is indeed a dirty fossil fuel with environmental challenges, it is a cheap source of energy for many developed ...
Jul 15, 2022•44 min
Access to credit is critical is fueling economic growth, especially by helping promising small businesses scale up and become more efficient. In Pakistan, however, access to credit remains a major challenge, especially because of the crowding out effect, where the financial system finds it easier and more lucrative to lend to the sovereign, which runs high fiscal deficits. In this episode, Uzair talks to Namoos Zaheer about the link between access to private sector credit and growth. We also div...
Jul 08, 2022•45 min
Pakistan's higher education sector has been in a state of flux for a long time. From regular cuts to funding to scandals about paper mills, the story has not been great. On top of that, research funded by the HEC has not led to innovation on the commercial end, something a country like Pakistan sorely needs. In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Tariq Banuri, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, on what ails this sector, his vision for reforms, and the path forward. Dr Tariq Ba...
Jul 01, 2022•40 min
Over the course of this podcast, we have had dozens of conversations on the need to reform the economy. But while we all know the broad scope of reforms that are needed, there is not really a constituency for reforms, across the political aisle, in Pakistan. Dr. Ahsan Iqbal, who is a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz and is currently the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reform, joins us in this episode to talk about his efforts to build this constituency for refo...
Jun 27, 2022•49 min
Political violence has been a major issue facing Pakistan's flawed and floundering democracy for decades. From Karachi to South Punjab, political actors have overtly and covertly deployed violence to gain influence, votes, and power. But why do political actors use violence to achieve these goals? And what are ways to deal with this issue? In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Nilofer Siddiqui about political parties and violence. Dr. Siddiqui is an Assistant Professor at the University of Albany....
Jun 24, 2022•49 min
A record-breaking heatwave has been wreaking havoc across the subcontinent, impact the wheat and mange harvest, setting fire to forests, and giving us a trailer of what climate change can do to our world. In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Erum Sattar of what is the latest research showing about where the world is headed and what actions governments and individuals must take to day to reduce the likelihood of the worst-case scenarios becoming a reality. Dr.Erum Sattar is the Program Director of...
Jun 18, 2022•55 min
There is a widely-held belief that strong governments deliver reforms and sustainable growth. Research, however, shows otherwise. In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Irfan Nooruddin about his research on this topic, based on his must-read book Coalition Politics and Economic Development: Credibility and the Strength of Weak Governments. Dr. Nooruddin is is the senior director of the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center and the Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Professor of Indian Politics in the School...
Jun 10, 2022•45 min
The situation in Balochistan has been complex for decades starting with the way in which Balochistan became part of Pakistan following independence in 1947. In recent months, the insurgency there has picked pace, but many forget that there are two insurgencies roiling the province. In addition, the economic situation is dire, with citizens facing abject poverty and a continued extractive approach to economic development. This episode is an Urdu conversation with Rafiullah Kakar, a public policy ...
Jun 03, 2022•57 min
Crypto is going through another winter with prices of all major crypto assets down sharply. There has also been the Luna collapse, which has raised a lot of questions about the future of the crypto and Web3 economy. In this episode, Uzair talks to Salahuddin Khawaja about what's going on in the crypto economy and how is he navigating the ongoing downturn. Salahuddin Khawaja is CEO of Hypermode, a crypto consulting firm - helping clients design, build, grow and transform in Web3.
May 27, 2022•53 min
Pakistan’s economy is spiraling out of control with the rupee hitting a record low on a daily basis. What is driving this crisis and how can Pakistan get out of this tailspin? This episode focuses on the ongoing crisis, with Ammar H. Khan joining the podcast to offer his perspective on what is going on and the path forward. Ammar is a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, and is the Group Chief Risk Officer at Karandaaz Pakistan, a UK FCDO and BMGF backed entity that focuses on enabling a...
May 20, 2022•42 min
Pakistan's monetary policy has been the focus of attention over the last few years, particularly since Dr. Reza Baqir became governor in 2019. His three year tenure is up, which is a good time to assess the central bank and its performance. In this episode, Uzair talks to Ariba Shahid, a business journalist based in Pakistan, about the highs and lows of the SBP over the last few years.
May 13, 2022•49 min
Uzair talks to Maleeha Lodhi about Pakistan's foreign policy and the repercussions of the regime change conspiracy theory. Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi most recently served as Pakistan's Representative to the United Nations. Previously, she served as Pakistan's envoy to the Court of St James' and twice as its ambassador to the United States.
May 06, 2022•45 min
There has been a lot of talk about a foreign conspiracy in Pakistan, particularly by former prime minister Imran Khan and his followers. While this conspiracy theory is outlandish and has been debunked by many experts, Khan and his followers continue to believe it. But is Khan really standing against up for Pakistan when it comes to pushing back against foreign powers that have exercised influenced over Pakistan over the decades? Or is this just political rhetoric? In this Urdu discussion, Uzair...
Apr 22, 2022•1 hr 15 min
A lot has happened in Pakistan over the last few weeks, with Imran Khan's government first creating a constitutional crisis and then losing power in a dramatic late-night vote in the National Assembly. But what does this mean for Pakistan's flawed and floundering democracy? And how should we view this moment in time from a historical perspective? In this episode, Uzair Younus talks to Dr. Ilhan Niaz, Head of the Department of History at the Quaid-e-Azam University, about the impact of ongoing ev...
Apr 15, 2022•1 hr 7 min
The COVID-19 pandemic, a once-in-a-century event, caused widespread socioeconomic upheaval in the world. In Pakistan, there were fears that the country would descend into chaos, but the country was able to navigate this crisis without realizing the worst-case scenarios. Credit for this goes to the Khan government and the NCOC, which did an excellent job coordinating the public health response to the pandemic. In this episode, Uzair talks to Maha Rehman and dives deeper into how a data-led approa...
Apr 08, 2022•46 min
