New Wave Pakistan

World Bank Economist, Nauraiz Rana and International Human Rights Lawyer & Policy Specialist UN Women, Hira Azhar discuss the growing epidemic of gender based violence and the grass roots policies available to curb the increasing oppression of women. The United Nations Population Fund reported on November 25, 2022 that "Violence against women is one of the most prevalent human rights violations ac...

Nauraiz Rana (Economist, World Bank) sits down with Shahram Azhar (Professor of Economy, Bucknell University), and Danish Khan (Asst. Professor & Director of Inequality, Poverty, Power and Social Justice, Franklin and Marshall College) for a riveting discussion on Pakistan’s political economy, specially in light of the ongoing political chaos. They delve into the necessary conversation about adapt...

In this week’s conversation, Raza Ahmed Rumi and Dr. Ali Usman Qasmi sit down to discuss the compelling facets of the recent confrontations of the military establishment and the political elite in Pakistan. One of the key themes that the speakers set to unravel is whether the political and civil mobilisations are truly unprecedented in nature– an analysis for which they deep dive into the historic...

Nauraiz Rana (Economist, World Bank) and Michael Kugelman (Director, South Asia Institute - Woodrow Wilson Center) discuss the latest discord leaks that reveal Pakistan’s foreign relations conundrum. The nature of the conundrum was centered around an expression of desire for Pakistan to move away from US focused foreign policy and make modifications to its west appeasing reputation. Michael Kugelm...

Ammar Ali Jan in conversation with Faryal Shahzad, unpacks Pakistan’s elite capture, highlighting the imbalance in the country’s social and economic structure - questioning the intent of all those who tend to perpetuate the existing status quo. Furthermore, they discuss the role of the military, and how it has in the past and arguably, till date, continues to transcend constitutional boundaries, o...

Raza Rumi talks to renowned activist and SAPAN founder Beena Sarwar about the raison d'être behind the network, how it continues to drive the peace narrative proactively, and where she sees the future of not only Indo-Pak relations, but relations across South Asian nations including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and others. South Asia is one of the least interconnected regions in the world. Tradit...

Former Ambassador, Akbar Ahmed, engages with World Bank Economist, Ahmed Nauraiz Rana, in an insightful and illuminating discussion unraveling the causes of Pakistan’s current socioeconomic status, deliberating upon what needs to be done for national revival. 76 years post independence, Pakistan is arguably at the lowest of lows. Economically, it is teetering at the brink of default on sovereign d...

Raza Rumi speaks with Historian Ilhan Niaz on Pakistan’s evolving political landscape. According to historian Ilhan Niaz, the political crisis prevalent in Pakistan today is not different to situations that Pakistan confronted in the initial phases of its history. Currently, the inability of the political class to resolve their issues has paved the way for an intervention by the judiciary. This in...

Nauraiz Rana (Economist, World Bank) is joined by world renowned economist Steve Hanke (Professor, Johns Hopkins University) to delve deeper and identify the underlying causes of Pakistan’s ongoing #currencycrisis, and unprecedented levels of inflation. They discuss the viability of the under-negotiation #IMF program, and former PM Imran Khan’s ability to steer the country out of this turmoil, giv...

Sundus Siddiqi (Climate Change Specialist - World Bank), Nimra Hayat (Environmental Engineer and Data Scientist - Amazon), and Nauraiz Rana (Economist - World Bank) engage in a thought provoking discussion, highlighting not only the causes behind the 2022 floods in Pakistan, but also the underlying institutional and systemic challenges, including poor urban planning and water resource management,...