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Lahore School 8th International Conference on Applied Development Economics

 Abstracts

Program

Also in the Express Tribune, Business Recorder, Dawn, Nation, and Dawn 2 

Day - 2, Day - 3 

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8/21/2026 09:36:00 AM,

Lahore School 8th International Conference on Applied Development Economics - Day - 2

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8/21/2026 09:32:00 AM,

Lahore School 8th International Conference on Applied Development Economics - Day - 3


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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8/19/2026 10:51:00 AM,

'Stabilisation policies driving poverty'

Experts say weak exports, low investment, privatisation policies capping growth 

Repeated economic stabilisation measures in Pakistan – including exchange-rate adjustments, privatisation and liberalisation – have substantially transformed the country's economy but have also contributed to rising poverty, said economic experts on Monday.


Speaking at the inauguration of the 8th International Conference on Applied Development Economics (ADE) in Lahore, Lahore School of Economics (LSE) Rector Dr Shahid Chaudhry stated that Pakistan's economic policies are deeply shaped by national development concerns that necessitate high government spending. He added that state-led healthcare and social protection efforts illustrate the complex challenges and opportunities in strengthening public welfare systems, making scholarly research platforms vital for finding sustainable, inclusive development pathways.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8/18/2026 08:58:00 AM,

Essential Insights of Economics for Public Policy Formulation and Implementation in Pakistan

Azam Amjad Chaudhry

Pro-Rector

Professor and Dean, Faculty of Economics

Lahore School of Economics

World Trade Organization (WTO) Chair for Pakistan

August 6th, 2026

Read the report (PDF)

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8/13/2026 09:05:00 AM,

Global Energy Price Shock Weighs Heavily on Pakistan’s Economy, Lahore School of Economics Report

Hassan Abbas

Pakistan’s economy is facing mounting pressure from a prolonged global energy price shock that has slowed economic growth, accelerated inflation, widened external imbalances, and increased poverty, according to a new quarterly report released by the Modelling Lab of the Innovation and Technology Centre at the Lahore School of Economics.


The report, covering the fourth quarter of FY2025-26, was prepared by Dr. Moazam Mahmood, Professor of Economics; Dr. Azam Amjad Chaudhry, Dean of the Faculty of Economics; Amna Noor Fatima, Manager and Data Analyst at the Modelling Lab; and data analysts Anodha Liaquat and Syeda Khadeeja Batool.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/30/2026 09:22:00 AM,

Economy struggling under weight of global energy shock: report

By Hassan Abbas

Pakistan’s economy is struggling under the weight of a global energy shock that has dampened growth, stoked inflation, and strained the country’s external accounts, according to a quarterly report prepared by the Modelling Lab of the Innovation and Technology Centre at the Lahore School of Economics.


The report, covering the fourth quarter of FY 2025-26, was authored by Dr Moazam Mahmood, Professor of Economics; Dr Azam Amjad Chaudhry, Dean of the Faculty of Economics; Amna Noor Fatima, Manager and Data Analyst at the Modelling Lab; and data analysts Anodha Liaquat and Syeda Khadeeja Batool.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/29/2026 09:25:00 AM,

Growth dips to 3.1% on energy shock

Poverty rises to 21.1% as energy costs fuel inflation, warns Lahore School of Economics report

Shahram Haq

Pakistan's economic growth stands at 3.1% this fiscal year, but a brutal global energy shock is threatening to drag that figure down further, with millions of the country's poorest citizens already paying the price.


That is the central finding of the Lahore School of Economics' latest quarterly assessment for Financial Year 2025-26, released by its Modelling Lab. The report, authored by economists Dr Moazam Mahmood and Dr Azam Amjad Chaudhry, paints a sobering picture of an economy caught between fragile recovery and external pressure it cannot control.Read more »

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/27/2026 01:25:00 PM,

State of the Pakistan Economy, Growth, Inflation and Welfare in Pakistan

Financial Year 2025-2026 (Q4)

Lahore School of Economics

Dr. Moazam Mahmood, Professor, Faculty of Economics

Dr. Azam Amjad Chaudhry, Professor & Dean, Faculty of Economics

Amna Noor Fatima, Manager, Data Analyst, Modeling Lab

Anoosha Liaqat, Data Analyst, Modeling Lab

Syeda Khadijah Batool, Data Analyst, Modeling Lab

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/25/2026 03:15:00 PM,

Policy risks eat into export revenue

Shielding exporters from year-to-year tax changes can help stave off losses

Sharam Haq

Pakistan is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in export revenue every month, not because of foreign tariff wars or global trade conflicts, but because of the uncertainty generated by its own policymaking machinery, according to a new study released by economists Azam Chaudhry and Gul Andaman of the Lahore School of Economics (LSE).


The headline finding is striking. When the United States and China fought a bruising tariff war in 2018 and 2019, an episode that reshuffled global supply chains and rattled exporters worldwide, Pakistan's trade policy uncertainty index peaked at 185, against a baseline of 100. But Pakistan's own Finance Act of 2024, a routine annual budget law, pushed that same index to 348, nearly twice the level recorded during the biggest trade conflict in a generation. By 2025, the index had reached three and a half times its historical mean.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/16/2026 09:29:00 AM,

Federal Budget

Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26

Federal Budget 2026-27

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 6/11/2026 03:20:00 PM,

Low-skilled workers dominate Pakistan’s migration as remittances surge: report

Jawwad Rizvi

Nearly two-thirds of Pakistani labour migrants continue to fall into low-skilled or unskilled categories, with their combined share rising further in 2025.


The findings come from the Pakistan Migration Report 2025, released by the Lahore School of Economics on Tuesday at its Barki campus. The report provides a comprehensive snapshot of migration trends, remittance flows and emerging policy challenges, while underscoring the growing importance of overseas workers to Pakistan’s economic stability.

According to the report, outward migration from Pakistan has remained volatile in recent years. The number of migrant workers declined from 862,000 in 2023 to 725,672 in 2024, before recovering modestly to 762,499 in 2025. The report attributes this fluctuation largely to tightening visa regimes and shifting labour market policies in host countries, rather than domestic factors.

Migration patterns remain heavily concentrated in the Gulf region, which hosts around 92 per cent of registered Pakistani migrant workers. Saudi Arabia continues to be the leading destination, attracting nearly half of all migrants. Other Gulf countries also remain key employers, particularly for low- and semi-skilled labour.

However, the report notes a gradual but notable trend towards diversification. Increasing numbers of Pakistanis are seeking opportunities in non-Gulf destinations, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, as well as emerging Asian economies.

Remittance inflows from these non-Gulf countries tend to be higher, suggesting the presence of relatively more skilled and better-paid workers. This may also point to underreporting in official migration data, particularly in developed economies.

Remittances, meanwhile, have surged significantly. The report records a 25 per cent increase in inflows, rising from $30.2 billion in 2023-24 to $38.3 billion in 2024-25. These inflows now account for 9.34 per cent of Pakistan’s GDP, underscoring their critical role in supporting household incomes and maintaining macroeconomic stability amid rising imports and stagnant exports.

Experts say the increase is driven by both higher migration levels and a gradual shift towards skilled workers. At the same time, persistent inflation at home has eroded household purchasing power, placing additional pressure on overseas Pakistanis to send more money to support their families. Despite these gains, the report highlights several structural concerns. Women remain significantly underrepresented in the migrant workforce, accounting for just 1.0 per cent of total migrants. Analysts attribute this gap to socio-cultural barriers, limited access to recruitment channels, and concerns over safety and working conditions abroad.

Irregular migration is another growing challenge. Pakistan continues to rank among the top nationalities attempting illegal entry into Europe. The report notes that 5,680 Pakistanis were apprehended at European borders in 2024, while 3,203 were recorded in the first half of 2025 alone — with nearly 90 per cent attempting entry via risky sea routes.

The rise in irregular migration is closely linked to tightening legal pathways. Stricter visa requirements, higher application costs, and reduced job opportunities in destination countries are pushing some migrants towards dangerous alternatives.

Speaking at the launch event, Mio Sato, chief of mission at the International Organisation for Migration in Pakistan, stressed the importance of promoting safe, orderly and regular migration channels. She emphasised that migration should be a choice, not a necessity, and called for stronger skills development programmes aligned with global labour market demands.

She also highlighted the need to raise awareness about the risks associated with irregular migration and to improve financial inclusion so that remittances can be used more productively at both household and national levels.

Rector of the Lahore School of Economics, Dr Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, described migration as a central pillar of Pakistan’s economic framework, noting the country’s reliance on external income to sustain consumption and ease pressure on the balance of payments.


Without targeted reforms in skills development, migration governance and labour market alignment, experts warn that Pakistan’s migration model will remain exposed to global shocks, even as it continues to underpin the country’s economic resilience.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/06/2026 09:10:00 AM,

Pakistan needs structured migration pathways

Shahram Haq

Emphasising the need for safer and more structured migration pathways, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has urged Pakistan to prioritise regular migration channels, skill development, and financial inclusion to maximise economic benefits while reducing risks.


Speaking at the launch of the Pakistan Migration Report 2025 at the Lahore School of Economics, IOM Pakistan Chief of Mission Mio Sato said migration remains one of the most significant global development realities, particularly for Pakistan. She stressed that migration "should be a choice and not a necessity," underlining the importance of safe and dignified migration practices. Sato highlighted key policy priorities, including aligning skill development programmes with international labour market demands, raising awareness about migration risks and opportunities, and adopting evidence-based policymaking. She also pointed to gender disparities, noting that women account for a disproportionately low share of Pakistan's migrant workforce due to socio-cultural barriers, limited access to recruitment networks, and unsafe working conditions.

The report – fourth in a series published by the Centre on Migration, Remittances and Diaspora (CIMRAD) – was launched at the varsity's Burki campus, with Rector Shahid Amjad Chaudhry terming migration a critical area of study for Pakistan's economy, which relies heavily on external inflows and remittances.

According to the report, Pakistan's outward migration remains volatile. The number of migrants dropped from 862,000 in 2023 to 725,672 in 2024 before recovering slightly to 762,499 in 2025. The decline has been attributed mainly to stricter visa regimes and shifting policies in host countries.

The Gulf region continues to dominate as the primary destination, hosting 92% of registered Pakistani migrant workers, with Saudi Arabia alone accounting for nearly half of all migrants. However, remittances from non-Gulf countries remain comparatively higher, indicating either better wages or underreporting of migrant numbers. A major concern flagged in the report is the persistent dominance of low-skilled labour. Nearly two-thirds of Pakistani migrants fall in the low or unskilled category, with their share increasing further in 2025. At the same time, migration trends are gradually diversifying toward non-GCC countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, as well as emerging Asian economies.

The report also draws attention to irregular migration, particularly toward Europe, where Pakistan ranks among the top 10 nationalities attempting illegal entry. Around 5,680 Pakistanis were apprehended at European borders in 2024, while 3,203 were recorded in the first half of 2025, with nearly 90% attempting entry via sea routes.

On the economic front, remittances posted a significant increase of 25%, rising from $30.2 billion in 2023-24 to $38.3 billion in 2024-25. These inflows now account for 9.34% of GDP, playing a critical role in stabilising Pakistan's external account amid rising imports and sluggish exports.


The surge in remittances has been attributed to increased migration and a gradual shift toward skilled workers, alongside inflationary pressures at home that have compelled overseas Pakistanis to send more money to support their families. However, the report cautions that tightening global migration policies, rising visa costs, and stricter labour market conditions are limiting opportunities for Pakistani workers. These constraints, it warns, are pushing more individuals toward irregular and often dangerous migration routes.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/06/2026 08:12:00 AM,

Pakistan Migration Report 2025

The Centre on Migration, Remittances and Diaspora (CIMRAD) launched the Pakistan Migration Report 2025 on May 5, 2026, at the Lahore School of Economics. The report – the principal author of which was Professor Dr. Fareeha Zafar (Lahore School of Economics) – outlines recent migration trends, noting that outmigration decreased from 862,000 in 2023 to 725,672 in 2024, before recovering to 762,499 in 2025. Saudi Arabia remains the leading destination, with the Gulf hosting nearly 92% of migrants, while higher remittances from non-GCC countries signal a gradual shift toward skilled migration. Despite this, most migrants remain low or unskilled, and irregular migration to countries such as Canada, the UK, and Australia continues to pose risks. Remittances rose by 25% to $38.8 billion in 2024-25, reflecting both increased skilled migration and mounting financial pressures on households, while female participation remains minimal.

Proceedings of the ceremony opened with a welcome address by Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Rector, Lahore School of Economics. He underscored the importance of studying migration as a critical issue for Pakistan, particularly given the country’s economic reliance on external engagement, including workers’ remittances.

Chief Guest Ms. Mio Sato – Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM) – emphasized the need for safe migration pathways, stronger skill development, and inclusive, evidence-based policies, particularly to address barriers limiting women’s participation.

The main findings of the report were presented by Dr. Fareeha Zafar, which led to discussions on migration trends, remittance growth, and policy challenges. Director CIMRAD, Dr. Rashid Amjad, talked about the remittance inflows and their relationship with the macroeconomic environment. Dr. Nasra Shah, Professor of Demography at the Lahore School of Economics, acknowledged the extensive insights provided by the report, noting that the Pakistan Migration Report series by CIMRAD serve as a valuable knowledge base on migration in Pakistan.

At the launch, the Rector, Ms. Mio Sato, Dr. Fareeha Zafar and Dr. Nasra Shah addressed the gathering from the podium, while Dr. Rashid Amjad spoke from the front desk.

In Pakistan Today: IOM urges safe, skill-based migration as LSE launches ‘Migration Report 2025, Migrant outflow declines amid tighter visa restrictions: report, and in Dawn, Migrant outflow declines in recent years due to visa restrictions: report

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/05/2026 09:25:00 AM,

Oil shock, falling investment threaten growth outlook

By Shahram Haq

Mounting external vulnerabilities, rising oil prices, and a prolonged decline in investment are pushing Pakistan's economy towards slower growth and higher poverty, economists warned at the 19th Annual Conference on Management of the Pakistan Economy, hosted by the Lahore School of Economics.


Key findings presented at the two-day conference revealed that Pakistan's GDP growth for fiscal year 2026-27 could fall to 1.8%, significantly lower than the pre-conflict estimate of 3.2%, primarily due to surging global oil prices, which recently touched $120 per barrel. Inflation is projected to rise to 9.4%, further squeezing households already under pressure.

Experts noted that Pakistan's heavy reliance on imported energy – nearly 80% of total needs – amplified the economic shock by worsening the current account and increasing domestic costs.

In his opening address, Rector Shahid Amjad Chaudhry highlighted three major vulnerabilities: weak positioning in ongoing IMF negotiations due to accumulated debt, rising import costs driven by oil prices, and the urgent need for long-term structural reforms in taxation, regulation, and investment.

A panel chaired by former State Bank governor Ishrat Husain emphasised that while Pakistan's exchange rate had shown relative stability after sharp depreciations in 2018 and 2022, underlying pressures remained due to persistent external imbalances.

Researchers from the Lahore School of Economics' Modeling Lab warned that the country's sustainable growth rate had declined to 3.7%, limiting its ability to expand without triggering balance of payments crises. At the same time, the trend GDP growth has dropped sharply from 4% (1992-2018) to 2.5% (2018-2023), largely due to falling investment. Adding to concerns, the economists estimated annual capital outflows of $6-9 billion, attributing them to exchange rate depreciation and falling domestic profitability, which have weakened savings and investment.

On the external front, Graduate School of Development Studies Director Rashid Amjad pointed out that while remittances surged to around $40 billion in 2025, their impact on the domestic economy remained limited as a significant proportion was spent on imports. Structural weaknesses in Pakistan's economy also came under scrutiny. Speakers highlighted continued dominance of low-value textile exports, declining manufacturing capabilities, and shrinking global market share. Economists linked the slowdown in industrial growth to high borrowing costs and reduced private-sector investment.

Agriculture, traditionally a backbone of the economy, is also showing signs of stress. Researchers noted declining growth in key crops such as wheat and cotton, possibly due to falling support prices.

On policy, Professor of Economics at Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya Rajah Rasiah advocated for a proactive industrial strategy focused on export-led growth, suggesting that Pakistan could build on emerging strengths such as solar technology. The conference also highlighted worrying social indicators. Data showed that caloric poverty, which had declined steadily from 2000 to 2014, has reversed since 2018 and continued rising through 2025. Labour market challenges persist, with low female participation and high unemployment even among graduates, despite improvements in education.

Research on regulatory policy revealed untapped opportunities. A study, led by Theresa Thompson Chaudhry, found that firms significantly underestimated the benefits of solar energy, despite potential electricity savings of 40-60% and payback periods of less than two years. Meanwhile, financial inclusion remains a long-term challenge. According to Jamshed Uppal, Research Professor at Busch School of Business, it could take over five decades for 90% of Pakistan's population to gain access to formal banking services at the current pace.

Experts also stressed the importance of governance, with Matthew McCartney, a development economist, noting that stable political environments are more conducive to growth-oriented reforms and poverty reduction. In a broader assessment, conference participants warned that Pakistan was already facing a structural slowdown before the latest oil shock. Declining investment, exchange rate volatility since 2018, and rising capital outflows have collectively weakened economic fundamentals.

While the recent stabilisation of the exchange rate was acknowledged as a positive development attributed to government policy measures, economists cautioned against renewed calls for further depreciation, warning it could reignite inflationary pressures and deepen economic instability.

The conference concluded with a call for urgent, coordinated reforms to boost investment, enhance productivity, and strengthen export competitiveness.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/29/2026 08:55:00 AM,

Lahore School of Economics Ninteenth Annual Conferene on Management of Pakistan Economy

 8-9 April 2026

Moazam Mahmood, Azam Chaudhry, and Matthew McCartney

Themes of external vulnerability, energy dependence, and growth dominated the two-day conference at the Lahore School of Economics. The conference occurred against the backdrop of an ongoing programme with the IMF and oil prices rising to $120 a barrel, at a time when Pakistan imports 80% of its energy needs. 

The opening address was given by the Rector Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, who framed the conference in terms of three vulnerabilities faced by Pakistan, ongoing negotiations with the IMF from a position of weakness owing to recurrent and accumulated foreign debt, the shock to domestic costs and the import bill resulting from increased oil prices, and a longer-term reform agenda related to regulation, taxation, and investment.

The first panel on day one chaired by Dr. Ishrat Hussain former Governor of the the State Bank, focused on External Vulnerabilities and Growth.


The Modeling Lab at the Lahore School, Dr. Moazam Mahmood, Dr. Azam Chaudhry, Amna Noor Fatima, Anoosha Liaqat, and Syeda Khadijah Batool, estimated that pre conflict GDP growth for FY 2025-2026 could have been 3.2%, but the oil price shock would lower it to 1.8%. Inflation was forecast to reach 9.4%. The exchange rate after the precipititous depreciations of 2018 and 2022, remained remarkably resilient, despite pressure from an oil shocked deficit in the Current Account.

Dr Rashid Amjad the Director of the Graduate Institute for Development Studies at the Lahore School, argued that the surge in remittance income to Pakistan to $40 billion in 2025, while gratifying support on the Current Account, risked being spent more on imports, with a lower impact on the domestic economy.


Dean of Economics, Dr Azam Chadhry and Gul Andaman estimated that the GDP growth rate consistent with a sustainable balance of payments had shrunk over recent decades to 3.7%. The faster economic growth needed to reduce poverty and create employment could risk sucking in excessive imports and leading to another debt crisis.

Dr. Naved Hamid the Director for the Centre for Research in Economics and Business at the Lahore School, and Murtaza Syed from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, explored a narrative of policy failure, the unwinding of trade liberalisation in the 2000s towards greater protection and increased complexity of the trade regime.

Dr. Rajah Rasiah Dean at the University of Malaya argued that a proactive industrial policy could help Pakistan pursue a goal of export-led industrialisation, building on existing successes in solar technology.

The second session examined structural change in Pakistan.

Dr. Ishrat Hussain catalogued a growing litany of economic failures in large-scale manufacturing, declining capabilities, the continued dominance of low-value-added textile exports for three decades, and a declining share of global export markets.

Dr. Kalim Hyder from the State Bank of Pakistan and Mehak Ejaz from the Institute of Business Management, traced the slowdown in manufacturing growth to declining investment, in turn driven by the high cost of domestic loan capital.

Dr. Rabia Ikram and Amna Kashif from the Lahore School used rigorous statistical analysis to show a step down in trend GDP growth, from 4% over 1992-2018, to 2.5% from 2018-2023. Again, the authors highlighted the crucial role of declining investment.

Shamyla Chaudry, Muzzna Maqsood, and Dr. Moazam Mahmood from the Lahore School, estimated that low savings in Pakistan, (and therefore low investment), was contributed to by mounting capital outflows of $6 billion to $9 billion per year. Arguing that depreciation of the exchange rate triggered these outflows because of declining relative domestic profitability.

Finally, Anum Ellahi from the Lahore School, completed the sectoral overview showing that falling sectoral growth had even spread to the agricultural sector, where both food crops (wheat) and industrial inputs (cotton) had experienced sharp falls in annual growth rates over the two years, possibly correlated to falling support prices.

The first panel on day two focused on regulatory policy and welfare.

Dr. Theresa Thompson Chaudhry Co Chair of the Innovation and Technology Centre at the Lahore School, collected data from 657 manufacturing firms in the Punjab using a Randomised Control Trial (RCT). The study showed that firms drastically undervalued potential cost savings from using solar technology – payback periods of under two years and potential savings in electricity use of 40-60 per cent. This information failure creates the potential to drastically scale up the number of firms that had installed solar technology by 2024 to 13 per cent. The study also found that firms' pessimistic attitudes were hard to shift.

Dr. Matthew McCartney from the ZRCP in Zanzibar, explored the political economy of economic reform and showed that stable, durable governments in Pakistan were better incentivised to provide poverty-reducing public goods and to conduct growth-promoting macroeconomic management.

The Modelling Lab at the Lahore School showed a disturbing recent trend in caloric poverty in Pakistan, which had consistently declined declined between 2000 and 2014, plateaued to 2018, but then reversed, increasing through to 2025.

Dr. Waqar Wadho from the Lahore School, examined the labour market in Pakistan, showing the low impact of rising education and skills, on the low productivity informal economy, seen in women’s low levels of labour force participation, and high unemployment levels even among degree holders.

Dr. Rabia Ariff and Dr. Azam Chaudhry from the Lahore School, explored Pakistan's positioning in global value chains (GVCs). They found that limited local value added, and short local GVCs, could be improved through higher labour productivity and institutions to deepen integration.

Dr. Mujtaba Piracha from the Government of Pakistan, and Nadia Mukhtar from LUMS, examined Pakistan's Export Development Fund (EDF) as a case study of export-oriented industrial policy. The paper showed why industrial policy is crucial for Pakistan – addressing market failures, the complexity of industrial policy – the different needs of large and small firms, and the importance of financing constraints for firms that could enter export markets.

Dr. Jamshed Uppal from the Catholic University of America, noted the importance of financial inclusion for empowerment and poverty reduction, but estimated that it will be another 52 years before 90% of Pakistan's population even has access to a bank account.

Finally, Dr. Matthew McCartney gave the Rapporteurs' Report, highlighting the themes of vulnerability and resilience of Pakistan, the impressive 19-year history of the Lahore School’s Economics Conference, and the importance of transformative changes such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Urbanisation, and Climate Change as suitable subjects for future conferences to engage with.

Dr Shahid Chaudhry gave the final vote of thanks to staff, students, and visitors to the conference.

In summary, a forest-not-the-trees analysis of the conference papers is disturbing. It shows that there was looming crisis of GDP growth, sectoral growth, and resulting welfare loss, prior to the current oil shock. From 2018 onwards, trend GDP growth falls to 2.5%, based on a trend drop in investment. The large depreciations from 2018 seem to have triggered a significant increase in capital outflows, on account of reduced relative domestic profitability, depleting domestic savings. Sectorally, the larger drop in investment has been in manufacturing. But with a policy warning also for agriculture.

This large depreciations from 2018 onwards fuelling inflation, and the fall in trend GDP growth, have reversed the ten decade long declining trend in poverty.

The good news is that the trigger for these declining macro trends, the falling exchange from 2018 onwards, appears to have stabilized. For which credit must go to GOP for getting it right. The worry is contra calls for further depreciation by various economic lobbies.

On X Day I, Day 2

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/27/2026 11:13:00 AM,

Eighth International Applied Development Economics Conference (17-19 August 2026)

Call for Papers

Deadline: 3 May 2026
 

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/18/2026 09:20:00 AM,

A Roadmap to Diversifying Pakistan’s Exports

Pakistan has long struggled to broaden and upgrade its export base toward higher value-added products. This chapter uses the product space framework to identify feasible opportunities for Pakistan to move into more sophisticated exports - an essential step for achieving sustained, long-term economic growth.

Insight

Using the The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) database and employing standard estimations of product and economic complexity, Chaudhry and Andaman (2023) incorporate product space analysis and “proximity” metrics to identify new products Pakistan could export based on its current capabilities. Due to low economic complexity of Pakistan, many of these “nearby” products are not significantly high value-added, meaning that diversifying into such products will not improve Pakistan’s export sophistication by a high margin.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12/18/2025 01:47:00 PM,

Lahore School of Economics projects 2.4pc GDP growth for FY2025-26

Hassan Abbas

The Modeling Lab at the Lahore School of Economics has released its annual GDP growth estimates for Pakistan’s fiscal year 2025-26, projecting a modest growth rate of 2.4 percent based on macroeconomic variables observed during the first quarter from July to September. This figure represents no improvement from the previous fiscal year 2024-25, which also recorded a growth rate of 2.4 percent.


The report, titled State of the Pakistan Economy, Growth, and Inflation in Pakistan Financial Year 2025-2026 (Q1), was written by Dr Moazam Mahmood, Professor at the Faculty of Economics, Dr Azam Amjad Chaudhry, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Amna Noor Fatima, Manager and Data Analyst at the Modeling Lab, Seemab Sajid, Data Analyst at the Modeling Lab, Anoosha Liaqat, Data Analyst at the Modeling Lab, and Syeda Khadijah Batool, Data Analyst at the Modeling Lab.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/24/2025 09:17:00 AM,

State of the Pakistan Economy, Growth, & Inflation in Pakistan

Financial Year 2025-2026 (Q1) 

Lahore School of Economics

Dr. Moazam Mahmood, Professor, Faculty of Economics

Dr. Azam Amjad Chaudhry, Professor & Dean, Faculty of Economics

Amna Noor Fatima, Manager, Data Analyst, Modeling Lab

Seemab Sajid, Data Analyst, Modeling Lab

Anoosha Liaqat, Data Analyst, Modeling Lab

Syeda Khadijah Batool, Data Analyst, Modeling Lab 

Click here to read

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/19/2025 10:15:00 AM,

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Lahore, Pakistan.

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Lahore, Pakistan.

Phones: 37254099, 37254311


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