Football concerns

dawn.com/news/1732993/football-concerns

January 22, 2023

A DAY after the FIFA-AFC delegation left the country after

holding meetings with officials of the Pakistan Football
Federation Normalisation Committee and others, the national
women’s football team arrived to a warm welcome — as runners-
up in the Four-Nations Tournament in Saudi Arabia. Opening
with a 1-0 win against Comoros, Pakistan suffered a 2-1 reverse
against Mauritius. Captain Maria Khan’s brilliant free-kick then
secured a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia, allowing Pakistan to
take second spot behind the hosts. The PFF NC’s mandate, apart
from its main role of holding elections for Pakistan’s football
governing body, is to put the game back on track. With the
women’s team, it seems to have done its job. The team hadn’t
played a game in eight years before taking part in the SAFF
Women’s Championship last year. Their performance in Saudi
Arabia was creditable considering three foreign-based players
couldn’t play as they did not possess Pakistani passports, a grave
error by the PFF NC.

Criticism of the PFF NC — which has had two iterations since it

was first appointed by FIFA in 2019, the latest one coming in
January 2021 — has been on account of the delay in holding PFF
elections. FIFA and AFC officials who met grassroots football
organisers and stakeholders, some of whom will be contesting,
were questioned. It’s been over six months and the PFF NC —
which had given the government an eight-month deadline to
hold elections once it returned to PFF headquarters, after having
been expelled from it by a rival group — is yet to complete club
registrations. It has launched an extensive programme to
complete that first step towards holding elections but patience is
wearing thin. FIFA and AFC officials have said that elections
remain their priority. Further action will be decided by FIFA but
it is clear that the sooner an elected set-up is installed, the better
it will be for Pakistan football. Otherwise, the sport will remain
stuck in squabbles.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023

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Opinion

Shameful transphobia
dawn.com/news/1732994/shameful-transphobia

January 22, 2023

TRANSPHOBIA takes many forms, all of them cruel and

degrading. Sometimes it emanates from unexpected quarters. On
Friday at the Karachi airport, Flydubai refused to allow two
transgender activists from the Gender Interactive Alliance,
Shahzadi Rai and Zehrish, to board its flight to Dubai apparently
on account of their ‘x’ gender and cancelled their tickets. Both
were flying to Kathmandu via the UAE to attend an annual
meeting. It is shocking for an international airline — that too,
hypocritically enough, from a country which has recently
relaxed its domestic laws on alcohol consumption and same-sex
couples living together in order to enhance its business-friendly
image — to exhibit such transphobic attitudes. It is heartening
that when Shahzadi took to social media to speak about the
incident, there was a wave of support for the two activists and
revulsion over Flydubai’s actions. Ironically, just a short while
before, Shahzadi had tweeted a picture of herself at the airport
with the caption, “The goal is to die with memories, not dreams”.

Unfortunately, what transpired on Friday illustrates that a law

can be ahead of its time and that many people, hostage to
entrenched biases, find it difficult to imagine a kinder, more
inclusive world. Pakistan’s legislation on the rights of
transgenders is an achievement the country can truly be proud
of, for it has been drafted with a view to addressing the very real
indignities and hurdles that transpersons face in going about
their daily lives. For example, the law provides for a third gender
option (which evidently offended the airline’s ground staff),
enabling transgenders to obtain identification documents that
are necessary to access many services, including health,
education, etc as well as government employment. A sea change
in their material circumstances is now possible. Before this, most
transgenders were forced to earn a living in the undocumented
sector, often through sex work, which led to more stereotyping
and further discrimination. It was a self-perpetuating vicious
cycle. Nevertheless, as repeated incidents of violence — including
rape and murder — against transgenders in Pakistan
demonstrate, they continue to be dehumanised and seen as
society’s outcasts. The latest incident, while not in the same
category, stems from the same mindset. The state must
demonstrate that transgenders are fully entitled to its protection
and demand that Flydubai, or any other foreign entity for that
matter, respect the law of this land.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023

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Opinion

Oil from Russia - Newspaper

dawn.com/news/1732995/oil-from-russia

January 22, 2023

THE ‘conceptual agreements’ reached between Pakistan and

Russia for the supply of Russian crude oil on Friday signify the
first tangible step towards bilateral cooperation in oil trade. If
everything goes according to plan, with the key issues of
insurance, transportation, volume and payment mechanism
being addressed, a final agreement is expected to be concluded
by late March, giving an opportunity to Pakistan to buy Russian
crude at discounted rates. The two sides have agreed in principle
that the payment can be made in the “currencies of friendly
countries”, though the issue is still being thrashed out. Facing a
dollar crunch, Pakistan may use the Chinese yuan to pay for its
purchases once the supplies begin. Pakistani officials claim that
all issues were sorted out during Russian Energy Minister
Nikolay Shulginov’s visit for an intergovernmental commission
meeting, while the Russians say that matters are “in the final
stage of agreement”. Once a “consensus on the technical
specification [is] achieved, the oil and gas trade transactions will
be structured in a way it has mutual benefit for both countries”,
said a joint statement.

Energy accounts for the largest portion of Pakistan’s imports, and

cheaper oil from Russia will help somewhat lower the
burgeoning trade deficit at the heart of our balance-of-payments
crisis that has seen foreign currency stocks deplete to $4.3bn
from over $17bn in the last one year. Islamabad plans to procure
at least 35pc of its annual crude oil imports of 70m barrels from
Russia if the agreement is finalised and oil supplies begin.
Considering the Western cap of $60 a barrel on Russian crude,
imposed to deplete Moscow’s oil cash flow because of the Ukraine
war, Pakistan could save half a billion to a billion dollars
annually on its overall oil imports depending on the price
discount offered on top of the Western cap, freight and other
costs, and import volumes. India has taken full advantage of the
discounted Russian oil, which made up 15pc of its total oil
imports last year. That would be a significant relief for a country
on the brink of default.

It may appear far-fetched, but some industry sources feel that the
EU’s plan to also prohibit European firms from insuring, shipping
or trading Russian crude anywhere in the world — unless the oil
is sold at a price below the cap set by the West — could throw a
spanner in the works if Moscow refuses to sell oil to Pakistan at
or below the suppressed rate. But that is in the future. For now,
the government should follow up quickly on its plans to boost oil
and gas trade with Russia. If India can get its way around
Western sanctions against Moscow, Pakistan should be able to do
so too if the need arises.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023

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Opinion

Minus One - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

dawn.com/news/1732996/minus-one

January 22, 2023

NEARLY every civilian prime minister in Pakistan has had to

leave office prior to the expiration of his/her stated term. Just as
the army’s blessings were crucial for the PMs to ascend to the
highest civilian office, so too they have had to leave
unceremoniously once they fell out with the establishment. The
three-year itch is when things have historically gone sour, when
the same page begins to rip.

To students of Pakistan’s political history, the writing was on the

wall. When Bhutto could be sent to the gallows and Nawaz into
exile why would it be any different for Imran Khan? But this
history was lost on PTI supporters. They believed Imran was
exceptional. Until he wasn’t.
Yet, as a firm critic of Imran’s politics, I must acknowledge that
his charisma has proven overbearing. Who would have thought
that when he falls out with the establishment, lifelong supporters
of the institution would turn against it? That high-ranking retired
soldiers would shift allegiances to him and become critics of the
very institution they served in and benefited from?

As an objective analyst I must hand it to Imran. This is a tabdeeli

(change) that only he has managed. Yet his supporters are not
interested in democracy or civilian supre­macy. They are only
convinced that anyone who opposes him is evil (read: corrupt,
lifafa, chor, daku) and those who stand by him unquestioningly
have seen the light. It doesn’t matter if it’s Reham Khan or Gen
Bajwa; Aleem Khan or Jahangir Tareen. As long as they are tied
to Imran Khan they are good people but the minute that link is
severed, they become horrible. This is what is meant by ‘Imran is
our red line’.
They believed Imran was exceptional. Until he wasn’t.

His authority must be accepted blindly. With the result that the
party that was ostensibly created to counter undemocratic
dynasties, has no real party structure and is entirely reliant on
one man. That man is undoubtedly very popular and can contest
from seven seats and win them all in the by-elections. But that
popularity does not hold in the Karachi local government polls,
where PTI candidates were lacklustre and the party slumped to
third place, behind rivals PPP and JI.

Party stalwarts like Fawad Chaudhry have announced that if

elections are held on the seats from which PTI MNAs have
resigned, Imran will contest from every constituency. So he will
contest from 70 different places? Even if he wins all 70, what will
happen when he vacates those seats (for he can only hold one
ultimately) and has to field replacement candidates? How many
of those seats will PTI be able to retain?

And what about another perfectly possible scenario? The fabled

Minus One. What if Imran Khan is disqualified? Again, if it can
happen to Nawaz Sharif why can’t it happen to Imran? Certainly
there are legal cases outstanding — the matter of Tyrian White,
the foreign funding case, the Toshakhana case. Any one of those
can lead to his disqualification.

Let’s compare how PML-N dealt with Minus One. Not well, to be
honest. Unlike PPP, where there was a clear uncontested
succession within the family, made possible because of tragic
assassinations, the Sharifs emerged divided. Matters are further
complicated by Nawaz’s daughter, Maryam, and Shehbaz’s son,
Hamza, vying for pole position.

In a popularity contest, Nawaz and Mar­y­am would easily outdo

Shehbaz and Hamza. But it isn’t April 2022 anymore. It’s January
2023. And the economy is tanking. Granted the downhill
trajectory had begun during Imran Khan’s time. But the current
government has not been able to arrest the nosedive. Repla­c­ing
Miftah Ismail with Ishaq Dar was the proverbial straw that broke
the camel’s back.

Unlike PTI, where one man rei­gns supreme and def­ines the party,
PML-N supporters and workers are split. They are not all willing
to blindly acquiesce. This is a good thing for a democracy. There
must be dissent within political parties for democracy to
properly take root. Given our history, one must add that it is not
the prerogative of the establishment to manufacture that dissent.
But that dissent must surface organically.
In that regard, Miftah Ismail’s story must be heard and heeded.
Was his removal the result of family connections trumping
merit? If Nawaz Sharif wants to leave a legacy, he shouldn’t focus
on tightening the family’s hold on the party, but on hearing the
dissenting voices of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other loyal party
workers on how to better run affairs.

This should also be a lesson for the PTI supporters. They need to
start thinking beyond Imran Khan. What does the party stand for
besides hate for opposing politicians? What will be their strategy
if Imran is disqualified? They too must heed the dissenters like
Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan, rather than ostracising them.

The writer is a lawyer in London.

Twitter: @ayeshaijazkhan

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023

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The polio story - Newspaper

dawn.com/news/1732997/the-polio-story

January 22, 2023

“SOMETIMES people get very angry and tell us to leave;

especially if they are busy with household chores and we are
disturbing them. If we insist they begin using abusive language
and there have been times when they have shut the door in our
face.” These experiences were shared by the Lady Health
Workers (LHWs) of Ittehad Town in Baldia, Karachi, who were
deputed to administer oral polio vaccine drops to children.

Like all their colleagues in the struggle against polio, the LHWs
know just how high the stakes are. The success of the global
effort to eradicate this paralysing disease rests on the shoulders
of these front-line healthcare staff working in high-risk zones like
the one mentioned above.
Inaugurating the first nationwide polio campaign of 2023
recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pressed upon parents
and caregivers to open their doors for polio workers and urged
them to bring their children forward to receive the vaccine.

Aiming to vaccinate slightly over 44 million under-five children

against possible disability, this is the first nationwide five-day
campaign after the catastrophic floods inundated one-third of the
country. So far, some 75 per cent, or 33m, of the targeted children
have been vaccinated.
The PM’s praise for polio workers rings hollow.

The drive, which began on Jan 16, involves approximately

265,000 polio workers. However, in the districts of Hyderabad
and Karachi Division, the campaign has been rescheduled to start
tomorrow, Jan 23, and run until Jan 27, due to the recently
conducted local government elections.

On the first day of the campaign, LHWs boycotted the vaccination

drive, insisting that their demands be met. The Grand Health
Alliance (GHA), representing different bodies of healthcare
providers (including LHW unions), has been protesting against
the discontinuation of the risk allowance of Rs17,000 per month
that was given to them during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Withdrawn some six months ago, the health workers feel it is
impossible to make ends meet, given the current surge in food
prices, after a substantial amount has been deducted from their
pay.

With the pandemic no longer raging, the GHA is saying if it

cannot restore the health risk allowance, the government can, at
least, raise their monthly salary of Rs35,000 to bring it at par with
the income of their counterparts in other provinces. This demand
is totally justified.

Unfortunately, given the boycotts in other districts, the matter

has not been resolved as Karachi and Hyderabad get ready to
start the drive.

According to the Polio Eradication Programme, the health

ministry and Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) are
still in ‘negotiations’ with leaders of the GHA. However, GHA
representatives say they have failed to reassure them that their
concerns and demands will be addressed. In fact, the prime
minister’s words lauding the efforts of the front-line workers and
thanking them for their hard work and sacrifices, saying the
nation was indebted to them, ring hollow under the
circumstances.

Working in security-compromised areas in other provinces too,

their lives are continuously at risk which sometimes makes it
impossible for them to perform their duties. Communities feel
that those against the vaccine particularly target women because
when the latter are killed the fear factor increases and acts as a
deterrent for families that are reluctant to admit the workers
into their homes. Still these women continue their work, despite
the perils they face.

There is also no denying the importance of this cohort of female

health workers in the eradication of polio as known and trusted
community members; along with administering polio drops, they
carry out multiple other tasks, including advising on nutrition,
sanitation and family planning.
Not meeting their demands will be hugely demotivating at a time
when the programme faces the biggest challenge of polio
workers who feel burnt out and unable to cope in these
expensive times.

On Jan 28, 2022, Pakistan had not reported a single case of a child
afflicted with polio in the past one year. In fact, the last polio case
had been reported on Jan 27, 2021, from Balochistan. Later
unfortunately, the country slipped and 2022 saw 20 reported
cases of polio. But there has not been any case since Sept 22 last
year.

Eradicating polio is a priority and there is no room for

complacency. Polio is a gateway to many other diseases. If
routine immunisation (EPI) is pushed through, it will offer a long-
term solution which could see education and sanitation efforts
implemented as well as a polio-free Pakistan. Getting rid of polio
in Pakistan (and Afghanistan) would mean the second infectious
disease would have been eradicated from the world after
smallpox.

The writer is a journalist.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023

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Hell hath no fury… - Newspaper

dawn.com/news/1732998/hell-hath-no-fury

January 22, 2023

WHO wouldn’t be tempted to endorse an Imran Khan-like stance

to burn the house down, in the face of the paralysis that our
dysfunctional state and its rotten-to-the-core system has come to
represent, as millions of Pakistanis struggle to put food on the
table.

Look at the state of the economy and the dithering that has been
the main characteristic of decision-makers; just look at how the
government can’t even appoint an attorney general because a
‘rival’ fiefdom has unspecified issues with the nominated
candidate. The dispensation of justice takes a back seat, with
politics in the forefront.
There is indeed yet another fiefdom, making up the third element
of the power troika, whose leader put the country’s future at
stake because he wanted near-immortality in office. He wasn’t
even satisfied with two tenures, despite the disastrous
consequences of his ambitions.

The visionary arbiters of our destiny can’t even see what their
petty power grabs have done/are doing to the Islamic Republic,
the state of Pakistan. Their lust for more personal/institutional
power and quest for narrow, selfish gains have brought the
country to a pass where the most sympathetic of observers don’t
see it as viable anymore.
Burning the house down won’t solve any issue on its own.

In the name of patriotism, we have banished terms such as

‘failed state’ from the lexicon. But, hand on heart, none of us can
deny that is what we are or at least heading towards at
breakneck speed, with no sign of anybody with the ability or
desire to apply the brakes.

How else would you classify our beloved land where the bulk of
the population works 10 to 12 hours a day and considers itself
lucky if it can scrape together enough for one decent meal, let
alone three? With large swathes of the population without
proper healthcare or even potable water and, after the massive
rain-triggered floods, shelter, the system has quite
comprehensively failed to deliver.

Yes, the most vocal complainers are the chattering classes whose
voices are the loudest and what we mostly hear. Ironically, many
among the most audible moaners are part of the problem. They
belong to the rentier class whose capture and exploitation of the
economy has brought us to where we are.
This is indeed a rather bleak backdrop and something needs to
be done for a better, less dismal, scenario. So, is the Imran Khan
recipe of burning the house down the only way forward? Well,
burning the house down won’t solve any issue on its own.

We won’t rise phoenix-like from the burning embers. There

would have to be a concrete plan in place about what shape the
new republic will take. This is where the biggest question mark
emerges over that philosophy.

When given an opportunity with a surprising amount of

harmony within the troika and where all fiefdoms for once
seemed to be working to support something ‘new’, the
intellectual poverty, lack of vision and absence of a plan were
striking. Brave words were just that and no more.

It is now incumbent on major political parties, with PTI, PML-N

and PPP foremost among them, to first ensure that after their
battle for political supremacy is over, and one or more among
them is the winner, there is something left to preside over.

Root and branch reform of the economy that we have shied away
from or that elite capture has blocked, is inevitable now. The
current state of affairs isn’t sustainable. If this fight for political
ascendancy continues in the no-holds-barred fashion we see
today, rest assured the people’s deprivations will continue to
mount and so will their rage at their inability to feed their
children, let alone clothe and educate them adequately.

I, for one, have never been a great believer in IMF prescriptions

but our affairs have been managed thus that each of the major
political parties that has governed the country over the past
decades, either on its own or in a coalition, has gone running to
the Fund for a bailout. Borrow and spend, or rather fill the elite
coffers, has been the order of the day.

Again nobody had the vision to realise that with the changing
geopolitical situation and with it Pakistan’s reality, its place on,
for example, the US pecking order isn’t exactly what it used to be.
Islamabad isn’t Washington’s blue-eyed boy anymore.

In fact, even Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which have been generous
in the past with their handouts, are now saying Islamabad needs
to first set its own house in order before any help will be
forthcoming, as none of them are willing to shovel more of their
petro-dollars into a black hole.

Setting the house in order, at least in the short term, will mean
more difficulties for everybody and most for the pain-laden
bottom of the pyramid. If the decision-makers were not
ensconced in their Mayfair flats, their estates spread over dozens
of acres and their mansions named after themselves, they may
have related more to the plight of the shirtless and put their
‘politics’ on hold.

Had other elements of the troika been more attuned to the

challenges of the struggling multitudes, they too may have placed
their egos, their power trips and their narrow institutional
interests, in abeyance, whilst letting economic revival be the top
priority. After all, they have all supported far less worthy causes
with great gusto on many occasions till very recently.

But no. None of them seem prepared to lift their foot off the
accelerator as they speed towards the edge of the cliff. My main
fear is that none has any sensors left intact to understand that
hell hath no fury as a parent who is unable to feed their children.
Are we sleepwalking into a violent backlash?

The writer is a former editor of Dawn.

abbas.nasir@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023

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The ‘awam’ and reform

dawn.com/news/1732999/the-awam-and-reform

January 22, 2023

PAKISTAN’S economic situation requires fresh thinking and a

clear approach. The blame game where each incoming
government passes the buck to its predecessor has reached
saturation level. People expect the incumbents to show them the
path of relief to resolve their present difficulties, particularly
inflation. All governments are scared of taking tough, but
necessary decisions, for fear of alienating the awam (public),
attacks by the opposition parties and media, and erosion of their
political capital. Let’s see how this fear is misplaced.

The adjustment path to stabilising the economy (structural

reforms) to resume sustained growth requires the fiscal and
current account deficits to be reduced to manageable levels so
that they can be financed without recourse to exceptional
financing from domestic lenders, the IMF and other creditors,
and maintain a reasonable level of reserves. The path to reducing
the CAD is through maximising forex earnings by promoting
exports, attracting FDI and facilitating remittances. This requires
minimising protection for domestic industry so that producing
for export markets becomes more remunerative. Such an
approach would give relief to the awam from high indirect taxes,
while the expansion of the export sector and FDI would generate
more employment.

On the fiscal front, the way is to mobilise taxes from sectors,

businesses and individuals outside the tax net, privatise or
restructure SOEs, especially energy companies, shift to targeted
subsidies and undertake pension reform. The burden of
additional taxes would not fall on the awam as they are already
exempt from paying direct taxes. On the contrary, if large and
medium landlords, businesses, real estate developers and owners
are taxed, GST rates on essential commodities, that are borne
disproportionately by the poor, can be lowered. Consequently,
the manufacturing sector that contributes two-thirds of total
taxes would also free up capital and expand capacity or enter
new ventures. The reason why growth spurts lead to CADs is that
the domestic productive capacity is inadequate to meet demand
which spills over to increased imports. Employment would be
generated directly or indirectly through new investment. Fear of
broadening the tax base has nothing to do with the awam but
with the loss of privilege enjoyed by elites leading extravagant
lives and not paying taxes.

The other way is to privatise, lease out or restructure SOEs,

which are straining public finances, in the form of investment,
loans, grants, subsidies and guarantees. We should learn from
the example of banks which were subsidised for their losses;
after privatisation, they are paying about Rs200 billion in taxes.
Across the board, subsidies on electricity, gas, fertilisers,
petroleum products, wheat and administered prices have
wreaked havoc in the form of circular and contingent debt.
Energy companies should be opened up for competition at the
retail level to benefit consumers. The ‘single buyer single seller’
model should be replaced by multiple sellers and multiple
buyers. Pakistan is fortunate to have the Benazir Income Support
Programme for which all political parties deserve
commendation. It should be used for targeted subsidies for
energy, food and fertilisers, saving at least Rs300bn-400bn
annually. The pay-as-you-go pension system should change to a
defined contribution, avoiding the imminent explosion of the
pension bill in the medium term.
Expressions of fear that reforms would hurt the people are a ruse to protect
elite interests.

Additional taxes collected and savings accruing from the

expenditure curtailment should boost access to health,
education, nutrition, water supply, sewerage etc. The Sehat and
Kisan Cards, educational stipends, school lunches, private-public
partnerships in education and healthcare are potential avenues
for ensuring this access. Enhancing agricultural productivity by
investment in R&D, rural infrastructure and input supplies can
stop the drain of almost $7bn-8bn in the import of farm
commodities. Provincial governments, which can add Rs500bn-
Rs600bn in revenues annually, should devolve these subjects to
local governments, earmark financial resources and delegate
powers to tax property, fees, cess and user charges to this
government tier, while formulating policy guidelines, monitoring
outcomes and auditing accounts.
This sketch indicates that the loud expressions of fear that
reforms would hurt the awam are, in fact, a clever subterfuge to
protect the interests of the elite that is represented in decision-
making positions — politicians, bureaucrats, military officials,
big businesses, large landlords, judges, etc, who benefit from the
status quo.

This discussion leads to the next question: what is the

appropriate mix and sequence between adjustment (reforms)
and financing under the IMF programme? Adjustment can be
front-loaded — tough decisions are taken prior to the executive
board’s approval and financing is staggered and spaced,
according to the pace of adjustment. The other option is to inject
substantial financing fairly early to ease liquidity pressure,
reconstitute reserves and allow adjustment measures to follow.
The executive board’s stance depends largely on borrowers’ track
record. Pakistan, a long-time borrower, has a poor record with
low credibility; so, the onus falls on adjustment first and then
staggered financing. The three-year programme would have 12
reviews. Only the successful completion of a review can trigger
the release of a tranche each quarter. Performance criteria and
structural benchmarks are agreed with the borrower to monitor
progress. The latest data is evaluated to make any modifications.
Adjusters and waivers are used to reflect deviations from
original programme assumptions.

But Pakistan’s economic managers want to get financing first and

delay some conditionalities. Seeking financing from friendly
countries and then approaching the IMF board to relax timelines
for implementing prior actions is an attempt to ease the liquidity
pressure. However, external financing requirements under the
programme already incorporate these amounts; the Fund may
agree to advance disbursements but it would har­dly make a
difference as these are not additional amounts. The cost of
postponing the adjustment measures is increased uncertainty
and distortions which may lead to even tougher policy actions.
We are already witnessing the hoarding of dollars, and parallel
markets are discouraging the inflow of export proceeds and
remittances, thus decreasing the supply to the inter-bank market
and widening the spread between the official and unofficial
markets. We need a statesman-like leadership, willing to put its
own stakes on the line in steering the economy towards the right
track, servicing debt, getting rid of overdependence on the IMF
and avoiding the drift from one crisis to another. Other countries
have done so. Why can’t we?

The writer was part of the team that negotiated the two IMF
programmes successfully implemented in 2000-2004.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023

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