Furqan Ashraf

Pakistan's first comprehensive report on Foreign aid is out! I along with my team came up with the report that traces the origins of Pakistan's foreign aid requirements along with the growth of foreign aid machinery, consultants, donors and their influence, and argue that despite receiving an estimated $155 billion (tabulated and officially booked. Does not include 'off the book' aid) of the $200 billion and more 'commitments', the aggregate outcomes have been poor or negative for Pakistan. Please read and comment https://lnkd.in/eEdUYEFV #Pakistan #Pakistaneconomy #Foreignaid #dollars #aid #loans #aiddependency #economics

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volume 3 of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics - PIDE Sludge Audit is out. This volume focuses on the judicial system of Pakistan. https://lnkd.in/gWjafd3H

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My take on the political factors which enabled China's development miracle and their relevance for Pakistan.

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Farhan Hanif Siddiqi of the Quaid i Azam University, Islamabad, takes us back to the 1980s & explains how that was the defining decade for Pakistan at multiple levels. Read & download the paper from the link 👇 https://lnkd.in/e6fqAHMf

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How does culture affect Economic outcomes? I and the excellent Dr. Nayab discussed this under-appreciated aspect at the Econ Fest. Hope you enjoy the discussion https://lnkd.in/excMAxBK #Pakistan #Pakistaneconomy #PIDE

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Pakistan steps up to recognise #mentalhealth as part of #5EsFramework which offers a roadmap to achieve optimum socio-economic development. Socio-economic challenges and ill mental health are intertwined in a vicious cycle that increases the risk of mental disorders for the poor and worsens socioeconomic conditions for people with mental disorders. We also know that there is atleast a 4-fold return on any investment towards mental healthcare. MHPSS_PK provides a strategic direction for implementing mental health and psychosocial support services across the country.

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Shakespeare wrote about the foibles and faults of human beings 400 years ago. We still read Shakespeare’s plays to this day because they are still relevant. Some food for thought. AI is revolutionizing the world, learning and evolving in ways previous technologies couldn't. Unlike the wheel or fire, AI adapts and improves daily, raising profound questions about its future capabilities. But are we really considering the true ramifications of what we are getting people into? Are we delivering them into AI heaven or hell? We hope it’s the former, but it could easily be the latter. Without careful governance, the rapid integration of AI could lead us down a precarious path. Effective AI governance is crucial in striking a balance between opportunity and risk. As AI becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, addressing these challenges thoughtfully is essential. Honoured to have spoken at the ‘50 Years of Internet Celebration’ event alongside Fei-Fei Li, Kate Wilson, Keith Strier where we reflected on how lessons from the past 50 years can be leveraged to shape an inclusive, people-centered digital future. #IEEE #IEEEi50 #IEEEMilestone #ZeroDigitalDivide #AIForAll #InclusiveTech #PeopleCenteredDigitalFuture

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We, at Research and Development Solutions, have finalized a policy brief showcasing Human Development Index (HDI) at the district level for Pakistan. We, Adnan Khan and Amna Mahnoor Cheema, have added additional insights from our findings (showing values of three dimensional indexes for couple of districts) and described methods with references for our methodology. Thanks to Ayza Khawaja and Olan Naz for reviewing the policy brief. We would really appreciate your feedback on the methodology used. #HDI #HumanDevelopment #healthindex #economics #development #publichealth

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Join us at the East-West Center Research Speaker Series this Wednesday, April 24, from 9-10AM HST for the talk "Time-Saving Appliances and Educational Pitfalls: Evidence from Pakistan" to be delivered by Dr Fareena Noor Malhi, a Lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Bath. Please register for the talk here: https://lnkd.in/g4A8n39c Abstract: This study investigates whether access to time-saving appliances (TSA) aids children, especially girls in overcoming educational pitfalls, particularly during the challenging transition from primary to secondary and upper secondary schools in South Asia, marked by high dropout rates. Despite established evidence linking TSA access to increased educational enrollment, we focus on its specific impact on reducing dropout rates and their transition from one schooling level to another which is marked by the highest dropout rates. Utilizing instrumental variable methodology to address endogeneity, our findings reveal a causal relationship between owning freezers and washing machines and successful transitions for both genders. The village-level ownership of these appliances among childless families serves as a crucial instrument. Additionally, we analyze the mechanisms through which time-saving appliances influence upward transitions and assess result heterogeneity based on maternal decision-making authority, parental educational aspirations, and sibling gender composition within households. This nuanced exploration provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners addressing educational challenges in the region. Speaker Bio: Fareena Noor Malhi currently serves as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the Department of Economics, University of Bath. With over 7 years of academic and teaching experience in Pakistan, she has contributed to institutions such as the Lahore School of Economics and the University of the Punjab. Dr. Malhi earned her PhD from American University as a Fulbright Scholar. As an applied microeconomist, she specializes in behavioral development economics, particularly focusing on gender dynamics. Her research is dedicated to uncovering the root causes of low female labor force participation and the prevalence of out-of-school children in developing countries. Dr. Malhi explores the efficacy of behavioral interventions and the application of machine learning to address these challenges. Her professional background also includes working with esteemed international organizations such as the United Nations and Oxfam America.

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We know that building a company is hard, however building solutions to solve problems of poverty is harder! If you are looking to grow as a leader and find an amazing community and an organization to support you on your journey, apply to the Pakistan Acumen Fellowship. Applications are open now! See the post below to learn more and also share in your network! #socialentrepreneurship #leadership

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For last month's edition of The Friday Economist, my colleague, Eeman Shahzad Qureshi, and I delved into the socio-economic struggles of the transgender community in Pakistan and the transformative potential of microfinance in fostering economic independence and social inclusion. Key Highlights: - The impact of microfinance on empowering transgender individuals - The critical role of organizations like the Akhuwat Foundation - Barriers to microfinance uptake among transgender communities - Strategies to enhance financial inclusion and social acceptance Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ebmf8tHe #TransgenderRights #Microfinance #FinancialInclusion #SocialImpact #EconomicEmpowerment

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Chairman HEC Dr Mukhtar Ahmed shares a recap of today’s proceedings of the International Conference on Iran-Pakistan Academic-Cultural Dialogues. He expresses high hopes for strengthening Pak-Iran academic and cultural relations to address common crises, including those related to climate and water. #Pakistan #Iran #PakIranRelations

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Public procurement is one of the most vulnerable sectors to corruption. Citizen's and CSO oversight is essential for a successful fight against corrupt public contracting and promoting transparent bidding processes to the benefit of public as well as private entities. Read these excellent stories of impact of the work we are doing to ensure compliance with procurement rules resulting in savings of billions to the federal and provincial governments. #publicprocurement #transparency

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We are delighted to share insights from our participation at the Conference on Displacement Crises that was hosted by the Migration Research Cell of the Department of Political Science, UniversityofPeshawar Pakistan in collaboration with the University of Sussex. Based on our research in Karachi, our Research Assistant, Daniel provost Provost, shed light on enabling access, and expanding ecosystems for local leadership, for Karachi-based communities affected by displacement. Through our research, we observe that the majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are now relocating to urban areas, often settling in informal settlements. However, despite this shift, the prevalent perception of displaced individuals as temporary residents often obstructs their access to basic services available to other urban dwellers. Nevertheless, a significant number of IDPs are opting to make cities their permanent homes. The role of community-based interventions and leaders is important to connect the formal and informal spaces in cities. Demonstrating the impact of Saeen (roughly defined as community leaders, benefactors and organisers), Daniel shared how they have been supporting the integration of IDPs through: 📚Education, with the construction of schools and provision of basic lessons and learning materials; 🩺Healthcare, notably through use of local educational institutions; 🚰Food and water security, by providing basic food and water assistance to households in dire need; 🔒Protection, e.g. by facilitating the organisation of community watches; ⚖️Conflict / dispute resolution; as well as Land tenure security demonstrating the far-reaching roles taken on by Saeein in defending community interests. Samuel Hall aims to shed light on these critical knowledge gaps and, by employing participatory methods, co-develop innovative solutions that advocate for local communities to lead in fostering inclusive and sustainable urban development. This approach is rooted in our commitment to localisation, ensuring that local actors are at the forefront of action and decision-making, thereby better supporting displaced individuals in urban environments.

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Transparent processes, clear guidelines, public access to information, regular reporting, and effective communication channels are essential to establish credibility, ensure fairness, build public trust, and demonstrate the value of revenue generation initiatives. under local governments in Pakistan. #localgovernments #Pakistan #undp #DAI #punjab #GIZ #OSR #sindh #kpk #Balochistan #usaid #RevenueGeneration

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Will Pakistan's development agenda remain unfulfilled without digital development? In its recent report, UNDP revealed that around half of Pakistan's population does not have access to internet. Furthermore, districts performing better on digital transformation are also among the better performing areas in terms of human development. Read: https://lnkd.in/dYq533eY

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Since 9/11 China has been supporting U.S's led narrative on religious extremism/ terrorism as China supported U.S's war in Afghanistan too like Pak . However both Pak and China needed to deconstruct the false U.S/ India led narrative that links Islam with terrorism when it came to the fore that actually the U.S and India are using terrorism as a form of warfare against China and Pak / CPEC / BRI since Mr Trump admitted in 2014 that Obama created the #ISIS while earlier Ms Hillary Clinton confessed the U.S created Al Qaeda while Hamid Karzai in 2017 while speaking to Russian TV RT raised hue and cry that despite the U.S's invasion of Afghanistan since 9/11 on the pretext of putting an end to terrorism , in fact terrorism has increased since the U.S/ NATO came to Afghanistan and he further said the U.S airlifted #ISIS to Afghanistan . Since both Pak & China didn't challenge this U.S/ India led narrative despite KalbhoshanJhadav & Ajit Doval's confession too that India sponsors terrorism in Pak , the U.S's involvement in CT efforts in Pak must have helped Indian terror sponsoring of TTP M/o IK's policies led to the resurgence of TTP even prior to Afghan Taliban take over of Kabul in Aug 2021. Hence to make its CT efforts effective Pak and China must challenge the U.S and India led narrative on religious extremism/ terrorism and China and Pak should ask UNSC to condemn both the U.S and India for terror sponsoring . ( The above was my reply to an Indian Amrita Saha 's qs , "Why has the Pakistan Government been ineffective in protecting the Chinese nationals from getting attacked, if the CPEC corridor was so impactful for their society as a whole?" #ShakeelRamay #ChineseEmbassyIslamabad

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According to ASER Pakistan 2023, only 27% of households in Pakistan are well-informed about the concept of climate change. Explore the #ASERPakistan findings on #ClimateChange at https://lnkd.in/gDPtFpNA #ASER2023 #EducationMatters #ClimateJustice #ASERReveals #EducationAdvocates #ASERFindings Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office UNICEF Pakistan VSO Pakistan

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