Shahid Javed Burki
Posts by Shahid Javed Burki:
The World In 2020
It was inevitable that the end of one decade and the beginning of another would produce a great deal of commentary on the state of the world: its past, present…
The Globe Headed Towards A Climate Catastrophe
This article will be published as those responsible for making policies concerning global warming gather for their annual session over how to avert a climate catastrophe. This time the meeting…
Punjab As A Driver For Pakistan’s Growth
Several years ago, I was invited by the then government of Punjab to inaugurate a series of lectures funded by the World Bank on Punjab’s economic prospects. The Bank at…
How China Views Itself And The World
There are a number of developments in China that Islamabad needs to watch not only because Pakistan is one of the many countries China borders. It is important for those…
Trump Taking The World Towards Another Recession
Is the world heading towards another economic downturn? If the answer is “probably yes” what is the main reason for this development and how can the situation be reversed if…
The United State’s Iran Dealings
Is the United States under President Donald Trump following a well thought-out strategy in dealing with Iran? The first answer to this question would be in the negative given the…
Trump’s Unpredictably And The Iran Affair
Ever since Donald Trump moved into the White House, he has focused his administration’s attention on punishing Iran and its people. His reasons for taking these positions are complex but…
Indian Elections And Pakistani Worries
Even well-established electoral systems do not ensure continuity. This happened in the Indian general elections of 2014 when Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the western state of Gujarat to which…
Living In A Volatile Neighbourhood
Pakistan has four neighbours — Afghanistan, China, India and Iran. Following the country’s borderline, this way of looking at Pakistan’s immediate neighbourhood leaves a gap: the Line of Control, or…
Exchange Rate And The Pakistani Economy
Why is it that while we Indians love India, Pakistanis don’t seem to like Pakistan? — L K Advani I visit Pakistan two to three times a year and am…
Cow Worship And The Next Indian Election
On March 10, the Indian Election Commission announced that it would conduct the next national general elections over a period of more than six weeks beginning on April 11. Polling…
China: The New Champion Of Globalisation
The challenge to the Trumpian case against globalisation has come from an unlikely source: China. Beijing, led by President Xi Jinping, has taken a radically different position from the one…
Climate Change: Time To Panic?
The question posed above is about climate change; the age of climate panic is here wrote The New York Times in a special report on the subject of what mankind…
Change For The Worse In India
Change is inevitable – it affects people as well as countries. What Pakistan is today is not what it was in 1947, the time of its birth; or what it…
Some Questions About Pakistan’s Future
As I write this, I have spent about a month in Pakistan. During this time, I have heard a great deal of negative talk about the country — where it…
Politics Of Hate And Extremism In India
In a widely-read book, The Idea of India, historian Sunil Khilnani explained why India had taken the route towards impressive political development. The Indian system was impressive since it accommodated…
Dense Fog Is Coming Back Again Over Lahore
Pakistan’s environmental problem has many dimensions. All of them need to be the focus of public policy. The government has to move on several fronts at the same time. Not…
The US Challenge To China
Will the uninterrupted Chinese rise be affected by what some trade analysts are calling an economic cold war? By the end of September the United States and China had slapped…
Easing Of Pak-India Trade Tensions
The possible easing of tensions between Pakistan and India will have to occur in a difficult environment. To begin with are the changes Beijing is making in the way it…
Watching America From Within
Watching America from within, as I do, can be very dispiriting. The loss of comfort is considerable for those who, like me, belong to the Muslim faith. For those of…
Migration And Pakistan’s Development
In Pakistan studies, the role of migration in development has been largely ignored. That is surprising since in many respects the country’s experience in this area is unique in the…
Bringing Technological Development Into CPEC
Initially, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative will focus on two sectors: energy and highways. The bulk of the funds that are coming in are committed to solving Pakistan’s energy…
Improving The Narrative About Pakistan
Pakistan’s future also depends on the way the country is perceived by the world outside. The country’s narrative needs to change. It is viewed negatively by the world at large…
