Khnowledge Archives – Volume II

Contents

Foreword
Narratives

• Narratives in Research
• “PayPal is not Coming Soon”. Why?
• Machine Learning for Economists: An Introduction
• Electoral Politics in Pakistan: Law, Parties, and the Need for Innovation
• Why Pakistan Needs A Car Policy?

Travel and Transport

• Track Access Regime: The International Practices and Pakistan Railways
• The Obsession with Flyovers in Pakistan – Roundabouts are Cheaper
• The Nuisance of Own Money in Automobile Purchases

Media

• Unpacking Pakistan’s Film Policy
• The Electronic Media Economy in Pakistan: Issues and Challenges

Street Vending-Informal Sector

• Street Vending: An Introduction and Overview
• Developing a Policy Solution for Khokhas in Islamabad

Trade, Commerce and Investments

• What Do We Know of Trade Elasticities?
• Special Economic Zones and The State of Pakistan’s Economy
• Austerity: Which Way Now?
• LSM – Pakistan Steel Industry Outlook
• Ocean Freight Hike and Pakistan
• Why Do We Have Less Investment Than China and India?
• Inviting FDI: Is Pakistan an Attractive Destination?

Institutional Governance and Processes

• Corporate Governance in the State-Owned Electricity Distribution Companies
• Pakistan’s Public Procurement Regime
• Critical Evaluation of the Budget Making Process in Pakistan

FOREWORD

Knowledge entails ideas and thoughts which are empirically tested, managed, and accumulated in different formats. The post-development critique on the ways knowledge is accumulated and managed is grounded on two factors: hegemony of the western knowledge management and critique on the same by the post-developmental and post-colonial thinkers. Pakistan is one of those countries wherein local socio-economic realities had remained manufactured by the West. Very few critical voices have articulated their dissent to these manufactured realities and fore-fronted with the realities that are specific, contextual, and rooted. PIDE, living up to its aim of spirit of free inquiry, comes with the second edition of Knowledge Archives, in which knowledge briefs based on key economic and developmental issues of Pakistan are compiled into a book format. The themes of the current edition are carefully curated to cater to the extensity and expansivity of issues being currently faced by Pakistan.

The knowledge as articulated in these briefs is located. The edition is divided into six key themes: Narratives and Gaps, Transportation, Media Industry, Street Vending-Informal Sector, Trade, Commerce and Investments, and Institutional Governance and Processes.

The first, Narratives and the Gaps, details methodological context of narratives and explains what narratives are, how narratives are collected, what is the importance of narratives in social research and how narratives are analyzed. The section also typifies narratives specific to Pakistan: PayPal in Pakistan, Application of machine learning to economists, and Electoral politics in Pakistan. Narratives have gained significance in social research due to their event-centered and experiential specificity. While doing so, narratives are also being spaced in contemporary social sciences (Economics, Anthropology and Sociology) on experiential, discursive and structural levels.

The second theme, Transportation/Travel and Transport, delves into the track access regime, obsession with the flyovers in Pakistan, and the Own money in automobile purchases. The next theme, Inclusive Industries/Media Economy explains the specifics of Pakistan’s film policy and the issues and challenges faced by the electronic media economy in Pakistan. Media industries provide alternative avenues for generating growth, value, and employment. Another sector of generating growth, income, and value is through street-vending. The knowledge briefs on this theme define street vending, detail regulatory framework of street vending, pronounces conceptual framework, and prescribes developing a policy solution for khokhas in Islamabad.

The next theme takes in academic literature and analysis on the theme of Trade, Commerce and Investments, wherein knowledge briefs related to trade elasticities, the relevance of special economic zones for Pakistan economy, contextual causes of inflation in Pakistan, exchange rate fluctuations, stifling investment in Pakistan in relation to India and China and austerity measures in Pakistan, have been researched upon. The last theme takes an institutionalist lens to Pakistan’s political economy, body polity, and governance processes.

The compilation problematizes key areas of economics and public policy and works as a policy takeaway document for Pakistan economy.

FAHD ZULFIQAR