Entertainment
Pakistan’s ‘war’ economy
In the month since the US and Israel launched attacks targeting Iran, a mounting fallout on the economic front with global consequences has hit countries hard, including Pakistan.
The latest hit for Pakistani consumers came just this week, with a sharp increase in the domestic price of high-octane fuel used in luxury vehicles. This was ostensibly to force the relatively rich to bear a higher cost from the national burden, now overwhelming oil-importing countries worldwide.
Yet this latest measure again shows the government relying more on tokenism than on substantive action. Across Pakistan, many areas require urgent action to meet the mounting economic challenge posed by the Iran war.
For long, Pakistan has remained a country where the relatively few well-endowed elite have remained immune from sharing the national burden. It is hardly surprising that just about three per cent of Pakistan’s population of 250 million are registered as tax filers, with even fewer contributing to this cause in any meaningful way.
Meanwhile, a history of largesse showered upon the rich and the mighty only reinforces a tragic trend: in daily life, Pakistan remains a country where privileges are showered upon the privileged few. This history is well illuminated by examples from the ruling elite over time, who head to prized overseas destinations for medical treatment while similar-quality treatments are available in Pakistan.
In another relevant example, Pakistan’s government provides institutions of higher learning, including many that remain neglected and in disrepair. Pakistan’s educational system has visibly slid downwards over time, as the country’s elite have ignored this area while sending their own children to high-profile educational destinations worldwide. Similar examples are found across sectors, reinforcing the powerful reality that Pakistan’s well-endowed elite remains practically aloof from the rest of the country.
As the future of the war on Iran remains impossible to predict, Pakistan’s ruling structure must decisively prepare for the worst. Though Pakistan remains afloat today, helped by an IMF loan, it is important to remember that Pakistan returned from the brink of default on its foreign debt repayments just a few years ago.
While today Pakistan remains solvent with the IMF’s support, this, at best, cannot be the solution to a deeper challenge. In brief, Pakistan needs to rebuild confidence in its future, remain independently solvent through a significant improvement in its balance of payments, and last but not least, lift prospects for future economic growth.
For now, Pakistan remains trapped in a low-growth cycle, which at best matches the country’s annual population growth. In other words, the size of Pakistan’s economic pie is growing annually by the same margin as the growth of its population. Arguably, this may be seen as a no-growth or marginal-growth cycle.
Going forward, Pakistan must undertake three interrelated reforms to prepare for the future. First, amidst the mounting global fallout from the war on Iran, it is important to force Pakistan’s elite to tighten their belts as never before. For example, the luxuries showered on elected representatives in the past must be suspended immediately for Pakistan to enforce long-overdue expenditure cuts.
Furthermore, high-net-worth individuals across the country must be forced to meet their genuine tax obligations, rather than contribute only token amounts. In past years, other classes, such as visibly well-endowed traders, have successfully resisted budgetary measures to contribute more to the national tax collection.
As Pakistan faces one of the toughest moments in its history, no one can be allowed to avoid their tax obligations. This is essential to avoid placing future burden across the board, notably through further reliance on indirect taxes.
Second, as Pakistan faces a formidable war-related challenge, the country also faces another major challenge that must not be ignored. The powerful reality of climate change and its subsequent destruction was witnessed across Pakistan just last year, when unexpectedly powerful rainfall caused widespread destruction and human displacement across the country.
Even ahead of this year’s cycle of expected rainfall, Pakistan’s disaster management officials have already warned of a coming spell that could exceed last year’s spell by at least 20 per cent. This requires the country to redouble its efforts for a fresh focus on the agricultural and forestry sectors, as it responds to the terrible consequences of climate change.
Beyond the climate-related challenge, targeting agriculture may be the quickest way to revive economic growth while addressing the growing food insecurity of recent years.
Finally, Pakistanis are known to be generous donors to causes within their own country. But harnessing this spirit for a greater cause requires urgent action to intensify the non-profit sector’s work across Pakistan.
Together, the road to change must be embraced immediately as Pakistan tackles the fallout from a formidable global challenge.
The writer is an Islamabad-based journalist who writes on political and economic affairs. He can be reached at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect Geo.tv’s editorial policy.
Originally published in The News
King Charles has been urged to stand with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein by extending help to the UK police with a ‘Trump card.’
There are talks surrounding the monarch’s visit to the US, especially after Donald Trump told reporters earlier that the King is coming soon, despite political unrest.
Charles, whose diplomatic skills are not hidden from anyone, could play a crucial role in strengthening ties between the UK and the US after Trump’s remarks about Keith Starmer.
But, the monarch’s visit is not only important for the political alliance, but also he could play a key role in persuading Trump to release full and unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files, helpful in the Andrew probe.
Royal expert Andrew Lownie said, “He (Mr Trump) can be rude to Keir Starmer, but I don’t think he’s going to be rude to the King.”
As per the Mirror, he added, “I think Trump is a bully, and I think you stand up to him. I think the King might well be able to persuade him to do things that might not be possible otherwise.”
Despite strong calls by UK politicians and the public to postpone the US trip, Mr Lownie believes that King Charles should continue with his plans for the sake of Epstein victims.
“This is the sort of soft power in which the monarchy can actually be very effective. They can shame Trump. It’s the old line, ‘When they go low, you go high,’ and I think he should go,” the royal commentator said.
New Zealand soccer players have said they would be willing to play Iran outside the United States in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup, as uncertainty persists over the fixture amid geopolitical tensions.
Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals but their participation has been in doubt since the US-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic broke out at the end of February.
Team Melli are scheduled to play all three of their opening-round group matches in the US, with their June 15 opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles, but the Iranian soccer federation has threatened to boycott fixtures on US soil.
New Zealand are preparing as if the Los Angeles match will go ahead but players said on Wednesday they could accommodate a switch outside the US if necessary.
Netherlands-based midfielder Ryan Thomas said Iran had earned their spot at the World Cup, and the All Whites would be able to manage the extra attention generated by the match.
“They deserve to be there as qualifiers,” he told Reuters.
“If we’ve got to play them in Mexico or Canada, then yeah, we play them there. It’s not really a big deal for me.”
During the June 11-July 19 World Cup, New Zealand will be based in the southern California city of San Diego, which is a short drive to the Mexican border.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said last week her country would be open to hosting Iran’s World Cup fixtures although the final say on any venue switch would be FIFA’s.
Australia-based winger Kosta Barbarouses said players would leave it up to “the people in charge” to make a decision on the match, but did not think a switch would harm New Zealand’s campaign.
“I don’t think it would derail our preparation at all,” he told Reuters.
“We’ve got a base before our first game, anyway. So, yeah, I don’t see why not.”
Security worries
Fifa has declined to comment on the possibility of switching the venues for Iran’s games but said it was in contact with the Iranian soccer federation and looking forward to teams competing as per the current match schedule.
Iran also play Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle during the group phase.
Barbarouses, a 36-year-old father of two, acknowledged concerns about security for the New Zealand-Iran match in Los Angeles but said he trusted authorities to ensure the safety of players and their families as the All Whites play their first World Cup since the 2010 finals.
“I understand there will be worries for people but I just think with the magnitude of the event, I would love to have family there,” the Western Sydney Wanderers winger said.
“I would feel safe for them to be over there. I don’t think they’d miss it.”
Thomas said the New Zealand players’ nerves would be high before the match, but that was normal for any opener at a major tournament.
“Obviously there’s a big buildup prior to the first game,” the 31-year-old said.
“So it’s going to be interesting to see how we deal with that, but I’m confident in the group to deal with it on the pitch.”
Women living in US states with abortion restrictions have shifted from travelling out of state to get the procedure to taking abortion pills prescribed via telehealth, according to a report published Tuesday by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.
In 13 states with abortion bans, about 91,000 women received abortion pill prescriptions via telehealth in 2025, the report said. That number marks an increase of more than 25% compared with 72,000 prescriptions in 2024, according to the institute´s estimates.
Conversely, the report found the number of women who travelled from states with abortion bans to those with less restrictive laws fell from 74,000 in 2024 to about 62,000 in 2025.
Nationally, the number of people who travelled to receive abortions fell to 142,000 last year, down from the 170,000 recorded in 2024 and 154,000 in 2023.
“Taken together, these estimates suggest a substantial shift in the way people in states with total bans access abortion care, with fewer people travelling out of state and more accessing care via telehealth,” wrote the report´s authors, Isaac Maddow-Zimet and Kimya Forouzan.
The report noted that the trend has been facilitated by the so-called “shield laws”, which protect providers from prosecution by states where abortion is illegal. Eight US states — California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington — have such laws.
Nationally, the number of abortions recorded in 2025 stood at more than 1.12 million, largely unchanged since 2024 and the highest rate since 2009.
After the US Supreme Court overturned federal protections for abortion in 2022, 13 states have instituted near-total bans on the procedure, and six more have significantly restricted access.
Carabao Cup reality check for Arsenal, Man City; Madrid’s derby win; more
Deals From the Amazon Spring Sale That Passed Our BS Test
Andrew holds breath as King Charles plans bombshell move amid probe
-
Fashion7 days agoSales at US apparel, clothing accessories stores up 4% YoY in Jan 2026
-
Business1 week agoPeloton is launching bikes and treadmills for gyms, accelerating commercial strategy
-
Tech1 week agoJustice Department Says Anthropic Can’t Be Trusted With Warfighting Systems
-
Fashion1 week agoTrump signs order to combat fraudulent ‘Made in America’ labels
-
Business1 week agoStocks and pound rise as US rate call approaches
-
Fashion1 week agoLenzing launches TENCEL Lyocell-HV100 at Intertextile Shanghai
-
Sports7 days agoMarch Madness 2026 – How to watch in SA, start time, schedule, TV channel for NCAA championship basketball tournament
-
Entertainment6 days agoVal Kilmer revived 1 year after death through AI