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….

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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….