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…

Uzair talks to Ambareen Baig about the state of Pakistan’s startup ecosystem based on the findings of Invest2Innovate’s recently released Pakistan Startup Ecosystem Report 2021. Ambareen Baig is a research professional well acquainted with the startup ecosystem in Pakistan. After starting out her career as an educator, she moved on as a Fulbright scholar for…

Uzair talks to Asanga Abeyagoonasekara about the ongoing political and economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Things have gone from bad to worse in the island nation, which is now suffering shortages of essential goods. Asanga explains how things spiralled out of control and the way out. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera is Senior Fellow at the Millennium Project…

Uzair talks to Dr. Margarita Konaev about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, what prompted Putin to invade now, and the risks of urban warfare in the heart of Europe. Dr. Margarita Konaev is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) interested in military applications of AI and Russian military innovation. Previously,…

Uzair speaks with Musadaq Zulqarnain, Chairman of Interloop Limited, the largest Textile on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Musadaq also serves on the board of Karandaaz, a not for profit organization promoting financial inclusion, sponsored by DFID(UKAid) and Bill Melinda Gates Foundation. He is also the President of Interloop Welfare Trust and Lyallpur Literary council. An…

Uzair talks to Dr. Asfandyar Mir about rising cases of terrorism in Pakistan, the emerging threat on the Afghan border, and what risks he is concerned about during this ongoing second war on terror. Dr. Asfandyar Mir is a senior expert in the Asia Center at USIP. Previously, Dr. Mir held various fellowships at the…

Uzair talks to Aiman Bashir about her startup and the emerging edtech ecosystem in Pakistan. Aiman is co-founder and CEO of the business and has worked at the World Bank, Nestle and Coca-Cola. In 2020. Out-Class is a world-class EdTech platform, whose instructors hail from the world’s best institutions and have a deep-rooted passion for…

Uzair talks to Dr. Miftah Ismail, former finance minister and senior member of the PML-N, about the path ahead for Pakistan’s economy. The conversation explores reform priorities, export promotion, and improving the fiscal and external sector outlook for the economy. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:10 PML-N’s reform perspective 11:30 Guarding against rent-seeking 14:30 Exchange rates and…

Uzair talks to Pramit Pal Chaudhuri about domestic and foreign policy developments in India. The conversation focuses on state elections in the country, Yogi’s bid to become a national leader, India’s relations with China and Russia, and Modi’s outreach to Nawaz. Pramit Pal Chaudhuri is Foreign Editor of the Hindustan Times and a Distinguished Fellow,…

Uzair talks to Randy Bell about ongoing volatility in the energy markets, how countries like Saudi Arabia are preparing for the future, and ways in which energy importing countries like Pakistan should develop long-term strategies that enhance their energy security. Randy Bell is the senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center (GEC), where…