Pakistan Institute of Development Economics-PIDE

23/05/2026

𝐏𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 '𝐗 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲' 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐄𝐂 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝 🎉

Marking another milestone of excellence, PIDE has demonstrated a remarkable improvement of 15.5 points over the previous year. Among 95 evaluated universities across Pakistan, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics-PIDE proudly secured the 15th position nationally, outperforming many leading institutions.

Vice Chancellor, Dr. Nadeem Javaid (SI) applauded the commitment and hard work of the ORIC Team and the entire PIDE family, encouraging continued efforts towards advancing research, innovation, and institutional excellence.

This achievement reflects PIDE’s growing impact, dedication to quality research, and vision for shaping ideas into meaningful change.

Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan

23/05/2026

🎓 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!

Apply to PIDE and Start Your Impact Journey.
Whether your passion lies in Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies, Econometrics, Public Health, or Project Management.

PIDE offers a dynamic learning environment with scholarships, networking opportunities, and strong career outcomes.

📚 Admissions Open for PhD, MPhil & MS Programs
💼 95% Employability within 6 Months
🎓 Merit & Need-Based Scholarships
🤝 Networking Opportunities with Policymakers
💻 Work Study Program
📅 Last Date to Apply: August 10, 2026
🌐 For details log in to: www.pide.org.pk

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan

21/05/2026

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸: 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀

Pakistan’s labour market is facing growing pressure from rising fuel prices, freight disruptions, energy shocks, and declining demand across key sectors including textiles, construction, transport, retail, and agriculture. With millions employed in vulnerable informal jobs, the risk of widespread layoffs is increasing rapidly.

PIDE’s latest Knowledge Brief by 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐫 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧, 𝐀𝐣𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐫 𝐈𝐪𝐛𝐚𝐥 warns that nearly 3 million additional workers could become unemployed without timely policy intervention. The brief highlights urgent reforms including concessional credit, energy tariff rationalization, transport income support, and targeted social protection measures to reduce the impact of the emerging employment crisis.

Read More: https://pide.org.pk/research/beyond-the-remittance-shock-domestic-layoffs-and-the-coming-unemployment-crisis/

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and HRD, Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, BISP Pakistan

20/05/2026

Pakistan Institute of Development Economics-PIDE organized a seminar on “𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐀 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭" to promote dialogue on the importance of inclusive financial systems in Pakistan.

The discussion focused on the State Bank of Pakistan's role in advancing financial inclusion, particularly for women and marginalized communities, as a pathway toward sustainable and equitable development.

The seminar provided valuable insights into strengthening access, opportunity, and participation within Pakistan’s financial landscape.

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan

20/05/2026

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 - 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 (Teaser 2)

Teaser 2 of Citypedia presents a glimpse into the depth, scale, and diversity of Pakistan’s cities through data, evidence, and analysis.

From demography, housing, transport, governance, and public services to labour markets, trade, environment, land use, urban sprawl, real estate, safety, education, healthcare, climate, and quality of life — Citypedia brings together more than 370 indicators across 38 thematic areas for 20 cities of Pakistan.

Built under RASTA -Competitive Research Grants, Citypedia is Pakistan’s first comprehensive city knowledge platform designed to help policymakers, researchers, planners, investors, students, and citizens better understand how cities function, grow, and evolve.

This teaser highlights the themes, indicators, maps, and insights that make Citypedia a first-of-its-kind initiative in Pakistan. Full reports and the interactive dashboard are coming soon, InshaAllah.

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan, Capital Development Authority - CDA, Islamabad, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Prime Minister's Office of Pakistan

20/05/2026

𝐆𝐰𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞

In this op-ed, Dr. Syed Hasanat Shah and Mujtaba Arshad highlight how Gwadar Port can emerge as a key regional trade hub amid growing uncertainty around traditional Gulf routes.

The article emphasizes that institutional efficiency, logistics reforms, digital integration, and performance-driven governance are essential for Gwadar to fully capitalize on shifting global trade dynamics under CPEC 2.0.

Read More: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40421902

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Maritime Affairs Pakistan - MOMA, Board of Investment

Opportunities in global trade do not always arrive with clear signals. Sometimes, they emerge quietly in crisis....

19/05/2026

The PIDE–World Bank Lecture Series featured Dr. Tehseen Qureshi, who delivered a lecture titled “𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩.”

The lecture focused on the structural inefficiencies within Pakistan’s wheat economy and highlighted how low investment in agricultural research continues to limit productivity and innovation in the sector.

A key focus of the discussion was the need for deregulation and market-oriented reforms to ensure long-term sustainability. The session emphasized the importance of crop diversification, predictable trade policies, and the gradual reduction of subsidies that contribute to resource inefficiencies and environmental imbalance.

The session concluded with an engaging discussion on the future of Pakistan’s agriculture sector and the policy measures needed to strengthen food security and sustainable economic growth.

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan World Bank Group Pakistan

19/05/2026

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻

Pakistan does not lack reform ideas, it lacks consistent implementation. From exports and taxation to the energy sector, policy reforms are often announced with ambition but weakened by reversals, vested interests, and weak institutional continuity.

In this op-ed, 𝐀𝐝𝐧𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐦 argues that Pakistan’s reform challenge is not technical but structural. Policies continue to favor discretion over predictability and short-term adjustments over long-term transformation.

The article highlights that without rules-based governance, institutional consistency, and broader reform consensus, Pakistan risks remaining trapped in a cycle of recurring crises instead of sustainable growth.

Read More: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40420859/why-reforms-fail-to-take-root-in-pakistan

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue, Board of Investment

Pakistan does not suffer from a shortage of reform ideas. Rather, it has an abundance of excellent policy documents...

18/05/2026

𝗣𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 | 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆

Learning poverty remains one of the most critical challenges facing South Asia, limiting human capital development and widening educational inequality. Improving foundational learning outcomes is essential for building a productive and inclusive future.

Join PIDE seminar featuring Dr. Javed Ahmed Malik, Team Leader at ILMpact British Council, who will discuss the regional dimensions of learning poverty and its implications for education policy and reform.

Moderator:
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali — Associate Professor, PIDE

📍 A. R. Kemal Conference Hall
📅 Wednesday, May 20, 2026
⏰ 01:30 PM (PKT)

💻 Zoom Meeting ID: 825 1833 1615
🔑 Passcode: 988095

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan, British Council Pakistan

18/05/2026

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 - 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 (Teaser 1)

Today, we are releasing the first teaser video of Citypedia — a major initiative by RASTA -Competitive Research Grants at PIDE aimed at documenting, analysing, and understanding Pakistani cities like never before.

Using 370+ indicators organised under 38 thematic areas, Citypedia has developed 360° profiles of 20 cities across Pakistan. It brings together data, evidence, visuals, maps, and narratives to help policymakers, researchers, investors, students, and citizens better understand how our cities function, grow, and evolve.

This is not just a publication project. It is an effort to build Pakistan’s first comprehensive city knowledge platform.

The full reports and online Citypedia dashboard are now in the final designing phase and will be released soon, InshaAllah. Meanwhile, watch the Teaser 1 of Citypedia that offers a glimpse into its scale, scope, and coverage.

Nadeem Javaid, Ahsan Iqbal, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan, Capital Development Authority - CDA, Islamabad, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Prime Minister's Office of Pakistan, ,