Lubna Hasan | Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad (original) (raw)

Papers by Lubna Hasan

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, Sep 30, 2010

Rule of Law and strong legal systems are considered a precondition for sustained development. The... more Rule of Law and strong legal systems are considered a precondition for sustained development. Their relative weakness in the underdeveloped world is considered as the main obstacle to growth. Strengthening Rule of Law and legal systems has, therefore, become a standard advice from the developing community. Pakistan, too, has witnessed a surge in demand for Rule of Law in recent years. Capitalizing on this domestically garnered mandate, this paper reviews the legal obstacles to economic growth in Pakistan. It finds significant impediments for growth and market development due to legal shortcomings in the case of Pakistan. "…the reformer has enemies in all these who profit by the old order and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new". Machiavelli, The Prince, Ch. VI Recent times have witnessed an increased demand for Rule of Law in Pakistan. The movement for restoration of judiciary, which basically emerged and was sustained by the urban centers of Pakistan and later evolved into a broader consensus for strengthening Rule of Law, has been considered 'elitist' by its critics. Their arguments connote Rule of Law as a luxury that is demanded by the urban elites only, while the poor in both urban and rural areas are concerned more about their livelihoods. This debate rages on in Pakistan at a time when the development community is unanimous in its prescription about Rule of Law as a solution to the ills of under-development 1. This paper argues that Rule of Law and a strong legal system are necessary conditions for economically progressing and socially 'just' societies-both essential for improving the living conditions of masses in Pakistan. Since, economic growth and improvement in the welfare of its citizen is a prime concern for the Government of Pakistan, and realizing that "economic development does not take place in a vacuum", the Government vows to develop an "orderly framework for carrying out its economic reforms". It has undertaken an extensive reform of the laws relating to the banking and financial sector, commerce and industry, energy, information technology, social as well as administrative and judicial system 2. The area, however, begs scholarly attention. The paper tries to fill this gap. Rule of Law 1 Major international development and donor agencies place 'Legal Reforms' 'Law and Development' and 'Rule of Law' on their to-do list for developing countries. The World Bank has 'Law and Development' as a topic of development. Also see ADB (2004), APEC (2007). Carothers (1998) writes, "one cannot get through a foreign policy debate these days without someone proposing the rule of law as a solution to the world's troubles". 2 See Hassan (2000) for details.

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2007

This paper explores the concept of city ranking as a way to measure dynamics and complexities of ... more This paper explores the concept of city ranking as a way to measure dynamics and complexities of urban life. These rankings have various dimensions and uses. Both the context in which these rankings are done, and their nature has changed considerably overtime. These rankings are also afflicted with many methodological and measurement problems. A review of major city rankings and related literature is carried out to suggest a framework for measuring Pakistani cities.

MPRA Paper, 2008

Deforestation remains one of the most intractable environmental problems of today. About one thir... more Deforestation remains one of the most intractable environmental problems of today. About one third the size of the original forest cover has disappeared so far. Despite continuous efforts by the world community to curb this process, deforestation continues unabated in most parts of the world, with serious consequences for the human livelihoods, eco systems, and global climate. Pakistan also faces serious problem of depletion of its forest reserves. Approximately 39000 ha of forest are being cleared every year. 1 If deforestation continues at this pace, it is feared that Pakistan will lose most of its forest within the next thirty to forty years. Being a forest poor country, with forest occupying less than 5 percent of total land area, 2 protection of its forest resources is a vital task. Forest management faces many challenges in Pakistan. Forests face tremendous pressure, not only from a population of 160 million people for meeting their needs 3 (be it only subsistence needs), but also from market forces which have seen soaring timber prices for many years now. Forest department is ill equipped to counter these challenges. It lacks human and financial resources, and relevant technical expertise. The general perception among planners is that over population is the primary culprit behind forest degradation. Moreover, people living close to forestlands, and using it for their needs, show an imprudent behaviour towards these forests and use it in an unsustainable manner. So there is tendency among the policy makers to find ways of keeping people away from this resource, and to strengthen government's hold over it. 4 This is a rather simplistic (and problematic) conception of the issue. 5 Firstly, these assertions are subjective opinion of the policy makers, not based on any systematic

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a multi-dimensional development project that offers a ... more China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a multi-dimensional development project that offers a unique opportunity to Pakistan for equitable and sustainable development. This study investigates the potential of selected districts of Punjab alongside CPEC routes, based on six social and economic indicators to assess whether these districts are on an equal footing to capitalize upon such a mega-investment project. Results indicate wide disparities between the selected districts in terms of infrastructure and human capital, which are not captured by conventional indices of development. While developed districts can provide the necessary kick-start to CPEC. For the second phase of CPEC, the Punjab government must devise tailormade policies to suit the resource endowments of less developed districts.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2022

In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo motu notice of irregular development in Islamabad... more In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo motu notice of irregular development in Islamabad and directed the government to find a solution for regularizing these constructions. Later, Islamabad High Court in its judgment dated 9th July 2018 directed the government to form a commission to review the Islamabad Master Plan. Consequently, a commission was formed in August 2019 to review the master plan and give its recommendations1. The question arises, would another master plan revive Islamabad? We contextualize this discussion by delving into the history of the city.

This paper develops a conceptual framework for analysing property regimes in conservation of natu... more This paper develops a conceptual framework for analysing property regimes in conservation of natural resources. Human beings interaction with their environment is governed through institutions of property; therefore they play an important role in the conservation of natural resources. This paper uses concepts from the New Institutional Economics School of thought and from theories of property to develop normative criteria to assess property institutions in resource management.

Acknowledgements: This study is based on the author’s unpublished MA Thesis entitled “From Confli... more Acknowledgements: This study is based on the author’s unpublished MA Thesis entitled “From Conflict to Cooperation—The Need for a Change in the Institutional Set-up of Forest Management

What explains poverty of Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia? One view holds the disease environmen... more What explains poverty of Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia? One view holds the disease environment of these regions as the primary culprit. Others see it as a typical symptom of growth retarding institutions. We test validity of these competing assertions for a cross section of countries. Our results indicate that institutions are the prime determinant of economic performance of countries. Disease does not play a significant role in determining outcomes. On the contrary, we find support for the indirect effect of disease via institutions, as asserted by the 'institutions school'. Interestingly, the 'institutions school ' contention about geography having no direct effect on income is also not validated. Our results show that being land locked can pose significant disadvantage for a country. Endowment of hydrocarbon, however, is beneficial for economic outcomes.

Urban Economics & Regional Studies eJournal, 2021

Islamabad is currently in the process of reviewing its Master Plan. Islamabad was planned in 1960... more Islamabad is currently in the process of reviewing its Master Plan. Islamabad was planned in 1960 by C. A. Doxiadis on the principles of ‘Dynapolis’ – “the City of the Future” as a low-density administrative city, with single-family homes. There was no room for the poor, a central business district (CBD), or even a university. The city now has 126 illegal private housing societies, operating without adhering to the modalities set for residential spaces. Islamabad also has 63 under-serviced slums, housing 30% of the total city population. All this is the result of a restrictive zoning regime that encourages sprawl against high-density mixed-use development causing inefficient use of land. Urban Sprawl has disadvantages in terms of increased travel time, transport costs, pollution, destruction of arable lands. The World has moved on from restrictive master planning. Master plans are time and data-intensive. Being static and mostly non-inclusive, their stringent requirements leave litt...

Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) conducts research on a variety of issues rangi... more Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) conducts research on a variety of issues ranging from economic growth to macroeconomics, and from poverty to demography. Whereas our research has generated a number of messages, these remain confined to research reports and journal archives that are accessible only to the specialised research and academic communities. More often than not, the messages tend to get obscured in technical rigour that is inherent to any scientific inquiry. This manuscript brings together and presents key messages emanating from PIDE research on contemporary economic issues in a concise, reader-friendly form. The objective of this endeavour is to sensitise all sections of the civil society to research outcomes with a view to stimulating further discussion and debate on important development issues. The research work is organised into eight themes, including economic growth and development, macroeconomics, trade and industry, labour economics, poverty issues, agricultural economics, social and demographic issues, and governance. A summary of key messages precedes the presentation of the research sections of our focus here. We are thankful to Ms Saima Bashir, Staff Demographer, for her help in the preparation of this document. Musleh-ud Din KEY MESSAGES Review growth strategy to reorientate the role of the government. Initiate debate on the subject to keep growth strategy informed of the new research on economic growth which argues for the role of government to be the development of growthpromoting institutions. Improve governance for sustained economic growth. Governance and growth are intrinsically linked. Poor state of governance and unsatisfactory performance of a host of institutions are the binding constraints on growth in Pakistan. Enforcement of property rights and contracts requires an efficient and impartial legal system. Quick and fair dispensation of justice is necessary for individuals to feel secure in possession of their properties and investments.

wishes to thank Mr Guillermo Lathrop and Mr Joao Guimaraes of the ISS for their academic

... who gave me the confidence and courage to continue with my Ph.D. God may rest ... me for arou... more ... who gave me the confidence and courage to continue with my Ph.D. God may rest ... me for around 10 days in the hospital, my friend Malik Aleem Ahmad for taking ... specially Seyab, Faisal Nadeem, Faisal Kareem, Fakhar, Mehfooz, Cheema, Hamayun, Dev, Atif, Sandilo, Hanan ...

PIDE Working Paper 21, 2020

PIDE Policy Brief, 2020

Like most Pakistani cities, Islamabad has a fragmented administration, weakening its revenue base... more Like most Pakistani cities, Islamabad has a fragmented administration, weakening its revenue base and service delivery.
This duality of the structure was introduced through the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015, which led to the creation of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) for the city’s governance, in line with the city management practiced around the world.1 The fragmented administration resulted in an MCI that is dependent on the CDA and Federal Government for its finances.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000