Syed Zain Abbas Rizvi

India has transitioned into a radical Hindu state oppressive towards Muslims, barbaric to its women, and intolerant towards dissenters and critics. Pakistan has followed suit by shaping a selective Islamist culture of pseudo-Muslim values.

By the same measure, the United States is a hypocrite for advancing its ally via violence on one front while denouncing a rival for the same actions on another. Today, the US sanctions are intended to trip the Russian economy into the abyss.

Now, while the situation unfolds, Pakistan - one of the strategic cornerstones in Asia - is without premier leadership: perhaps indefinitely. Imran Khan no longer enjoys the office while the working Federal Cabinet has been effectively dissolved via a Presidential ordinance. 

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), about 1.24 million salaried people filed their tax returns in 2021. That makes up just about 6% of the entire population of Pakistan. That is the arching achievement of the FBR - a practically non-existent tax net.

The fed funds rate has been zero-bound since March 2020 to support the economy through the pandemic. And although both monetary and fiscal perspectives bolster this decision, uncertainty still looms regarding the broader repercussions of the geopolitical tensions.

Russians are drilling Ukraine into segments, the western block is busy drafting rafts of sanctions, and rivals are weaving strategies to somehow remain neutral in a stark spread towards a modern Cold War - deny it as much as you want, but it is Cold War 2.0!

According to a report by Chainalysis - a blockchain data platform, Pakistan is ranked 3rd in the Global Crypto Adoption Index 2020-21 just behind Vietnam and India. The data reveals that Pakistan recorded the highest growth in cryptocurrencies expanding at 711%

The FATF has intermittently urged the regime to enact anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terror financing (CTF) measures in the country’s legislative framework to ensure an airtight regulatory system in compliance with international financial standards.