Cricket is not Cricket without Shahid Afridi

Pakistan is at a pivotal moment in determining the direction of its exchange rate. While the rupee has long been associated with inflationary spikes whenever devalued, the present macroeconomic context signals a limited inflationary transmission from PKR depreciation. Since domestic food prices have already adjusted by 26.5% beyond global benchmark, the scope for additional inflationary pressure from depreciation remains limited. In this environment, a carefully managed depreciation of the rupee could support export competitiveness, attract higher remittance inflows, and strengthen the external account, offering a strategic opportunity to devalue the currency without immediately destabilizing prices. Muted food shock risk Domestic food inflation is already running well above the global index nearly 26.5% higher with a weight of 34.6% in the overall CPI basket. This elevated base reduces the risk of a sharp surge in prices from currency depreciation. In addition, food prices...

IMF piles on 11 new conditions The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slapped Pakistan with 11 more stringent conditions to address corruption vulnerabilities, end elite capture of the sugar sector and unearth the true cost of foreign remittances. The new conditions have also been imposed to reduce losses in the power sector through private sector participation, improve governance and service delivery, and enhance the effectiveness of the highly inefficient Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The IMF on Thursday released the staff-level report for the second review of the $7 billion bailout package, which disclosed that the lender has imposed 11 additional conditions on Pakistan. With the fresh additions, the total number of conditions has risen to 64 in the short span of one and a half years. According to the report, Pakistan will publish on a government website the asset declarations of high-level federal civil servants by December next year. The purpose is to identify mismatches bet...