Trade with India, for a better Pakistan
If the choice facing Pakistan is abandoning its claims on the Indian side of Kashmir in exchange for free trade with India, then I see it as an automatic choice: the economic future of 180 million citizens of Pakistan is not worth sacrificing for the sake of some vague political aspirations of a fraction of the 12 million or so who live on the Indian side of Kashmir. The hyper-nationalists that populate a surprisingly large segment of Pakistani cyberspace will no doubt argue that this is “selling Kashmir down the river”. Has anyone ever thought of the fairness of it ...
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The tough New Yorkers of Lahore
I moved to Lahore from my home town of Faisalabad, to pursue higher education at the Government College University. Although I didn’t know it then, Lahore was to be my home for a very long time. My MBA years flew by when I lived in the university hostel. My needs were simple; I wanted nothing more than the 15 x 15 cubicle that I shared with a room-mate. There were no air-conditioners in the summer, no heaters in the winter, no maids to do my laundry, and no home-cooked food. Yet, I survived. Even though the winters were bitterly cold in Lahore, my room was ...
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The CIA recruits came to campus
Two members of America’s spy nest, the National Clandestine Service (NCS) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) visited the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh today to attract potential recruits into the spy agency. The NCS, formerly known as the Directorate of Operations (DO), is where agency trains spies in secret trade-craft for clandestine activities. The briefing lasted a little over an hour, followed by questions about the application process. The two presenters themselves were career spies. The male speaker was a Russian expert with extensive experience in the Middle East. He had military experience prior ...
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My days as a manual labourer
Many of my friends don’t know this but I worked as a manual labourer in my early teenage years. I used to work several hours a day for just Rs20. There weren’t any weekly off days nor were there any extra benefits. If you got sick or were unable to come to work for some reason you couldn’t imagine getting paid those days. In fact, you would end up spending money on a visit to the doctor just so you could get back to your life of servitude. I can only describe those working hours as restless, endless stress. Sometimes, it would be so hard that ...
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Money 101: All women need a job
Happy Women’s Day everyone! I am amazed at how the Pakistani woman has evolved in the last 20 years. Away from the land of saas bahu TV shows, she is well aware of her rights and will not be intimidated by male co-workers. In fact, she is most likely to outperform them and get that promotion! Our mothers fought for options – so that we could choose between staying at home or going out to work. But I feel that it is compulsory for every woman to have some form of part-time, flexible hours work, even if it is not the 9 to ...
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IBA vs LUMS: The ultimate business school face-off
In an age of no scarcity in rivalries, new borders are being drawn. This time students of Pakistan’s two premier business schools are trading jabs at each other, vying for the enviable title of the country’s best educational institution. Competition may not always be healthy but for the neutral observer it is always highly amusing. And so, as an unbiased observer who graced the halls of neither IBA nor LUMS, I would like to present a collection of arguments (based on impeccable logic and verified facts) presented by either side as to why one has always trumped the other. Enter ...
Read Full PostJobs: The plight of the foreign graduate
Welcome back to the land of the pure. The one question most recent graduates from foreign universities face while being interviewed by employers and relatives alike is, “What are you doing here? Why did you decide to come back?” The graduate, given he is not the heir to a large chunk of the country’s land or industry, must have been either an idealist or under some form of compulsion to return. Of course, no sane person could have made that choice without being under duress. If the country wishes to reverse the brain drain phenomenon to some extent, now is the ...
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Revealed: 10 ways to get the job
For the last six months now, I have been working full time as a human resource manager. One thing I can certainly say is that at university, they certainly do not prepare you enough for what is in store for you when you join the field. The reality of being of a human resource manager in Pakistan bites. The socio-economic climate prevailing in the country does not help and the lack of common courtesy makes things a lot worse. As a human resource manager, I can offer valuable suggestions to prospective employees, with regard to where they should try ...
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Hungry for some rights
The fundamental right of the citizen to food, shelter and water is enshrined in the constitution. With an increasing number of people falling below the poverty line – without any social safety nets in place - the number of hungry men, women and children has rapidly increased in the last decade. The extreme disparity between the rich and poor, a lack of employment opportunities and a serious shortage of skilled labour has caused a rise in the number of hungry people in the country. The cost of living Factory owners hire workers on a contractual basis and avoid offering them benefits awarded to full-time employees, especially in Karachi. This forces ...
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Say no to change!
A common question heard across Pakistan is why are we still in the same place economically as we were 20 years ago? Well, it’s a very valid question that not only raises a great point but also shows the overall frustration people feel about the state of our economy, where everything somehow takes a full turn and ends up being worse than before. A simple example of this would be the interest rates. Back in 1994, interest was hovering close to 18 percent. Now, 16 years later, it is close to the same level. This is not because Pakistan is stuck ...
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