Reforming ‘kafala’

Published in DAWN on November 06, 2020 COUNTLESS Pakistanis who have worked in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are familiar with the kafala system. This system of ‘sponsorship’ severely restricts the freedoms foreign workers have in the kingdom, basically with the kafeel or sponsor having the final say in when and if the worker can leave […]

Monopolies and markets

Published in The News on November 03, 2020 One frequently reads or hears about the need for the structural transformation of the economy by means of which the institutions or people advocating such reforms usually emphasise changes in macroeconomic policies. This includes widening the tax net, reducing the fiscal deficit, enhancing factor productivity etc. However, very little[…]

CPEC international agreement Need for language planning and policy (part I)

By: Sabiha Mansoor & Fareeha Zafar Published in Daily Times on October 29, 2020 The agreement to create the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was formally signed in 2015 between the two governments of China and Pakistan. There are two main parts to the agreement: One is the development of energy, infrastructure, economic zones and development of Gwadar[…]