URAAN PAKISTAN

Moneeba Iftikhar, Hafsa Batool, Zainab Asghar & Shafaq Shabahat 2025

The rapid digital transformation in Pakistan has increased youth gig workers' reliance on technology, exposing them to cyber threats that may impact their economic well-being. This qualitative study examines the perceptions, awareness, and experiences of youth gig workers in Pakistan concerning cyber security laws, digital media, and online safety. Semi-structured interviews with 15 participants aged 20-24 from economics, IT, computer science, and commerce backgrounds actively engaged in online work and were conducted. Findings reveal that despite moderate to high cyber security awareness, gaps in safe practices persist, with risky behaviors like password sharing and clicking unknown links prevalent. Peer influence and social learning drive security behavior more than formal education. Participants acknowledged cyber threats' economic impact, but reporting rates remained low, possibly due to distrust or lack of awareness. The study proposes an inductive framework outlining relationships between internet usage, privacy practices, risk perception, and economic impact, as well as the influence of information sources, peer influence, and safety intentions on economic outcomes.

Maryam Latif & Umaima Arif (2025)

The objective of the study is to investigate the impact of smart governance and urbanization on sustainable development in South Asian countries consisting of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka over the period of 2001 – 2022. In the first stage regression analysis, the study employed the standard panel estimation techniques involving fixed and random effect models to trace the impact of smart governance and urbanization on sustainable development. In the second stage regression analysis, the study employed Pooled Mean Group (PMG), Mean Group (MG) estimation method as slope heterogeneity test rejects the null hypothesis of homogenous slope coefficients for the cross-sectional units. Further, the study employed, Common Correlated Effects Pooled Mean Group (CCEPMG), and Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) methods to tackle the issue of cross-sectional dependence among the panel of countries. The results shows that the impact E-governance and ICT infrastructure on sustainable development is positive and significant in the long run. However, the effect of E-governance and ICT infrastructure on sustainable development is negative and insignificant in the short run.

Ghulam Shabbir (2025)

Digital nation act 2024 adopted during Jan 2025, is a highly promising law which can usher a new era of digitally empowered growth and development for Pakistan. The digital nation act 2024, addresses the needs for transforming Pakistan into a digital nation per its conceptual underpinnings. However, given the current trajectory of Pakistan's performance on various indices of e-governance, provision of digital services to people, availability as well as reliability of digital infrastructure, the country requires prudent measures to materialize the benefits of digital nation act 2024. No specific study is available to guide various fraternities about the requisite measures to implement digital nation act 2024 in its letter and spirit, so that the vested advantages can be cultivated. This research intends to gather views and insights of the experts from the fields of digital transformation, digital governance, digital infrastructure, law, taxation and academia, about the inevitable elements in the quest to implement the digital nation act 2024. The study uses exploratory research approach to collect data from experts through key informant interviews.

Muhammad Nauman Sadiq (2025)

With the emergence of financial technologies, the banking sector drastically changed its products and services delivery process. The shifting from a traditional banking system to a digital system is also beneficial or not for banks' performance, and stability is a serious concern nowadays. This study aims to compare the contribution of Digital financial inclusion (DFI) and traditional financial inclusion towards banks' financial performance and stability in the South Asian region. Using the data of 68 banks from 3 emerging South Asian economies (Pakistan, Bangladesh and India) over the period of 2010 to 2022, we apply a two-step System GMM to test our hypothesis. The result of the study revealed that in the South Asian region, DFI is more beneficial for banks in terms of their performance (ROA, ROE). The study also finds that DFI enhances the banks' stability. However, TFI is detrimental to the stability of the banks. These results suggest that shifting banks from the traditional banking system to the digital financial system improves their performance and stability in the South Asian region.

Aroba Haq, Shazia Habib & Zahid Hussain (2025)

This study undertakes a comparative analysis of Pakistan's real-time payment system, RAAST, and India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), to evaluate the technical, regulatory, and adoption-related pathways toward a digitally inclusive, cashless economy in Pakistan. While RAAST represents a foundational step in Pakistan's digital financial infrastructure, its limited scalability, constrained interoperability, and modest user adoption underscore structural and policy limitations. Drawing on UPI's transformative trajectory, the paper identifies the critical role of open API ecosystems, robust regulatory backing, and public-private collaboration in scaling real-time payments. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative metrics-such as transaction throughput, settlement speeds, and system uptime-with qualitative assessments of policy instruments and architectural design, the analysis delineates a roadmap for RAAST's evolution. Findings suggest that unlocking fintech integration, enhancing digital literacy, and adopting incentive-driven regulatory frameworks are imperative for expanding financial inclusion and formalizing economic activity.

Muhammad A. Shiraz (2025)

As the global economy shifts toward digital financial systems, Pakistan faces a pivotal choice: embrace Bitcoin as a catalyst for financial inclusion, economic resilience, and technological innovation, or risk falling behind in an increasingly digital world. This paper critically evaluates the challenges and opportunities associated with Bitcoin adoption in Pakistan, addressing regulatory concerns, monetary stability, and socio-economic impacts. By leveraging Bitcoin within a structured regulatory framework, Pakistan can mitigate inflationary pressures, enhance financial accessibility, and integrate with the digital economy on a global scale. Furthermore, Bitcoin's adoption can stimulate the nation's fintech ecosystem, fostering software industry expansion and enabling decentralized financial models. This paper argues that proactive engagement with Bitcoin will position Pakistan as a leader in digital transformation, rather than a late-stage adopter struggling to adapt. Through an analysis of economic, technological, and regulatory considerations, this study provides a roadmap for Pakistan to harness the benefits of Bitcoin while managing potential risks.

Rashid Ali (2025)

In recent years, Pakistan's public sector has initiated digital transformation efforts, yet many have not been fully implemented due to ineffective implementation and adaptation challenges. A major barrier is cognitive inertia, the human tendency to cling to familiar routines despite the availability of advanced digital tools. This reluctance significantly hinders progress, preventing organizations from fully embracing technological advancements. This study explores cognitive inertia in the context of e-office implementation in Pakistan's federal public sector institutions. Using a case study approach, it examines the challenges employees face in adapting to digital workflows and emphasizes the importance of shifting mindsets for successful transformation. The findings underscore that successful digital transformation requires shifting mindsets, overcoming resistance, and fostering an adaptive, technology-driven work culture through targeted change management strategies and policy interventions.

Tooba Ahmad & Sami Ullah (2025)

This study examines the gamification of pro-environmental behavior as a tool for encouraging sustainable tourism in Pakistan. As the tourism industry in Pakistan continues to grow, there is an urgent need to transform tourist behavior r towards more sustainable ways. Conventional approaches such as awareness campaigns have not been effective in bringing about long-term change. This research suggests the gamification of the tourist experience through the EnerCities game, which encourages tourists to participate in virtual sustainability challenges prior to their visit. EnerCities utilize game mechanics to encourage behavior change, leveraging self-determination theory to build intrinsic motivation based on autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Experimental outcomes indicate that tourists who played the game showed considerably higher levels of pro-environmental behavior while on their trip than a control group. The study also identified the moderating influence of normative and control beliefs in enhancing the impact of gamification. The results indicate that gamification not only raises the level of tourists' commitment towards sustainable activities but also offers a scalable, fun way to promote eco-tourism in Pakistan.

Abdul Rashid, Mirajul Haq & Asma Fareed (2025)

The study examines the impact of financial, social, and digital inclusion on growth inclusiveness in 39 developing countries from 2004 to 2020. Two dynamic models were estimated using the two-step GMM technique. The results indicate that financial, social, and digital inclusion all have a positive effect on economic growth inclusiveness. Financial inclusion positively influences inclusive growth, indicating that access to formal financial services enhances growth inclusiveness. The positive and significant effect of social inclusion indicates that social inclusion is crucial for promoting inclusive growth by ensuring equal access to opportunities, empowering individuals, fostering cohesive and resilient societies, enhancing institutional accessibility and accountability, and involving people in the development process. Similarly, results indicate that promoting digital inclusion can lead to greater inclusiveness in growth. Furthermore, the results show a positive and statistically significant effect of the interaction between financial, social, and digital inclusions on growth inclusiveness, which entails the complementary nature of these factors in promoting inclusive growth in developing economies.

Amjad Naveed (2025)

Technological innovation plays an important role in achieving sustainable development by balancing economic growth with environmental preservation. This paper explores the dynamic link between Technological Innovation (TI) and environmental degradation measure through CO2 emissions. We introduce the Innovation-based Environmental Kuznets Curve (IEKC), a novel adaptation of the traditional Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). This relationship is characterized by an initial scale phase, where pollution rises with early-stage innovation, followed by a technological sophistication phase, where advancements in energy-efficient technologies lead to reduced emissions. Utilizing panel data from 200 countries spanning 1960–2020, we empirically test the hypothesis that the IEKC follows an inverted U-shaped curve, reflecting a non-linear relationship between TI and environmental degradation. Our findings confirm the presence of a non-linear inverted U-shaped relationship, with significant variations across countries at different development stages. These findings from this study emphasize the necessity for tailored policies that support technological innovation, effectively reduce environmental impact, and ultimately pave the way for a green path to sustainability.

Issa Hamadou, Teguh Yudo, Wicaksono & Luthfi Hamidi (2025)

Climate change is one of the most important issues facing humanity today. Carbon dioxide emissions from industry bring it on. The consequences of climate change are becoming more apparent. The intensity and frequency of storms, droughts, fires, and flooding have increased. Artificial intelligence (AI) is frequently cited as a viable solution to handle the obstacles of climate change, as the severity of these issues continues to rise. This paper tries to analyse the impact of Al innovation on climate change. To do so, the number of Al patents is a proxy for Al innovation while greenhouse gas emission and renewable energy output are proxies for climate change. Panel data from 69 countries are analysed using fixed effect methods to ensure the robustness of the results. The findings highlighted that Al innovation increases greenhouse gas emissions. However, when we controlled, the effect of renewable energy output, the positive effect turns to be negative. Once more, Al innovation has a positive relation toward renewable energy output.

Sajjad Hussain (2025)

Plant breeders, pathologists and farmers are facing problems in the early identification of resistant lines against stalk rot disease of maize resulting in decreasing of crop yield, increasing in production cost and environmental pollution due to high application of fungicides. This results in unbalancing of biotic and abiotic components of ecosystem. Currently, experts can only identify these lines using phenotypic and genotypic techniques that vary from person to person due to their skills and judgements. There is a need of image based detection model that would provide solution to the farmers at their doorstep. The use of deep learning models have the ability to identify the resistant and susceptible lines earlier with more accuracy when trained properly on image data. The phenotypic images of resistant and susceptible lines were collected from Maize and Millet Research Institute, Yousaf Wala, Pakistan, while the genetic images of these lines were obtained by performing polymerase chain reaction in the department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, USA. The current study explored the convolutional neural network using Inception-V3 architecture for the detection of resistant lines.

Faiza Azhar Khan, Saira Tufail & Qurban Tabassum (2025)

Meteorological factors pose a significant threat to food security through disruptions in food availability, access, utilization, and stability. Extreme temperatures, erratic precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events adversely affect agricultural productivity, fisheries, and livestock, exacerbating existing inequalities in food access. This study examines the impact of meteorological factors on food security in Pakistan and investigates how household-level adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) mitigates these effects across different climatic zones. Using district-level climatic data from NASA Power and household-level ICT adoption indicators sourced from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) 2019-2020 survey, the study finds that extreme temperatures measured by cooling and heating degree days, precipitation variability, and wind speed significantly undermine food security. However, ICT adoption plays a crucial role in reducing these vulnerabilities, particularly at the national level and in temperate and continental regions by improving financial resilience, market access, and information dissemination, enabling households to make informed decisions and maintain food security.

Fauzia Ajmal & Muhammad Ehsan (2025)

This study explores the integration of micro credentials in higher education institutions in Pakistan. Using a quantitative survey-based approach, the researchers collected data from 200 undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students in 10 universities from across Pakistan. The findings reveal that while there is broad support for incorporating micro credentials into degree programs, their formal integration remains limited. The majority of respondents indicate that micro credentials are not yet well-established within their universities, and institutional policies for recognizing them are lacking. However, there is strong consensus on the need to align academic offerings with industry demands, suggesting that micro credentials can bridge the gap between education and employability. The study recommends that policymakers develop a robust framework for micro credential recognition, transfer, and accreditation to enable their seamless integration across Pakistan's higher education system.

Nasreen Aziz Sahito & Hafsa Hina (2025)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has rapidly become a fundamental pillar of society and an integral part of education, transforming teaching methods and learning processes. Successful ICT integration requires research and assessment of key factors such as infrastructure, funding, teacher training, and policy support. This study evaluates the effectiveness of ICT integration in primary education within public sector schools under the School Education & Literacy Department, Government of Sindh, using a mixed-methods approach. The first objective assesses ICT's impact on Grade V students' academic performance using pretest and posttest analyzed through the Difference-in-Differences model. Results indicate a negative intervention effect, highlighting the need for further investigation into ICT infrastructure and teacher competencies. The second objective evaluates ICT infrastructure through a survey of 24 schools, revealing significant gaps, with only 5 schools having computer labs. The third objective examines teachers' ICT knowledge and competencies using survey data from 172 government teachers, analyzed through descriptive statistics. Findings indicate substantial knowledge gaps, emphasizing the need for targeted professional development. The fourth objective explores stakeholders' perspectives through thematic analysis of in-depth interviews, identifying key benefits, challenges, and policy recommendations.

Anjeela Khurram & Fizzah Khalid Butt (2025)

The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all walks of life, notably in education and academic research domain has driven a revolutionary transformation globally, and Pakistan is no exception. Al, with its revolutionary drive, has opened various untapped avenues for academicians and practitioners, posing certain ethical threats at the same time. The education sector particularly higher education sector and research domain have now been highly influenced by the use of generative Al and its applications. One strand of research posits that over reliance on Al use has been crippling the ability of critical thinking of researchers by impacting their cognitive abilities, thus facilitating Al assisted cheating and raising ethical issues. The two tier research approaches employed in this study aims to address these concerns, by identifying some themes emerged after thematic analysis of two FGDs conducted for this study.

Henna Ahsan & Ajmal Kakar (2025)

This study examines the key determinants of ICT adoption in Pakistan, considering both demand and supply side factors by using data from PSLM 2019–20. The findings reveal a significant digital divide, with ICT adoption being higher among individuals with greater educational attainment, higher income levels, and enhanced access to ICT facilities at home. However, formal education's impact on ICT literacy and transformation is limited when accounting for unobserved heterogeneity, suggesting that innate ability and self-learning plays a crucial role in ICT adoption. Additionally, younger individuals exhibit higher ICT adoption rates, while regional ICT infrastructure has a minimal direct impact on individual's ICT skills. The study highlights the need for policy interventions, including ICT-integrated curricula, broadband expansion, and digital literacy programs, particularly in underserved regions. By addressing these gaps, Pakistan can foster inclusive digital growth, enhance economic opportunities, and bridge the ICT divide across different socio-economic groups.

Samina Sabir (2025)

This study investigates the relationship between financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, institutions, and economic growth in 33 developing countries from 2004 to 2024, utilizing the System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). By integrating these variables into the Solow growth model via total factor productivity, the analysis reveals that financial inclusion positively impacts economic growth, while entrepreneurship negatively influences it. Among institutional factors, political stability and the rule of law show adverse effects, while government effectiveness and control of corruption contribute positively to economic growth.

Misbah Tanveer Choudhry (2025)

The adoption of information communication and digital technology is increasingly being considered an enabler for women entrepreneurs in building personal and firm capabilities and improving access to the markets. Women's participation in entrepreneurship in Pakistan could be higher due to the region's challenging socio, cultural, and institutional context. In such a scenario, technology and its adoption offer promising potential for women entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses. This project conducted an impact assessment of the TDAP women entrepreneurs training program, designed to address the gaps in training and capacity building of women entrepreneurs for digital literacy in Pakistan. We employed the mixed method approach to analyze the role of digital enablement training programs. We collected the primary data from women entrepreneurs who attended the TDAP training program by developing a comprehensive questionnaire and conducting a Survey. Moreover, to capture the qualitative context, we organized a roundtable panel discussion with experts from industry, academia, NGOs, and government organizations.

Sumaira Yasmin & Iqra Marwat (2025)

The online job market is transforming the workplace, offering more autonomy and flexibility, including remote work and telecommuting. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated telework adoption, impacting women who have historically faced barriers in traditional jobs. Using Schlossberg's Transition Theory, the study investigates how the online job market affects work dynamics, with a focus on women. Data on job satisfaction and related characteristics are gathered through an online survey questionnaire created with Google Forms. The study focuses on Pakistani women's job satisfaction those shifts from onsite to online work. The study highlights a key trade-off between the stability offered by onsite jobs, which are valued for their structured benefits and teamwork, and the autonomy provided by online work, driven by flexibility, higher earning potential, and shorter working hours. It reveals that younger, unmarried women dominate online jobs, utilizing digital skills and autonomy, while older women tend to prefer onsite roles for the financial security and routine they offer, reflecting distinct demographic preferences.

Sumera Mehmood (2025)

This research investigates the intricate dynamics of decision-making among women entrepreneurs, focusing on the influences of cultural environment, behavioral biases, and access to sustainable financial literacy, mediated by artificial intelligence (AI). Using a quantitative research approach grounded in interpretivism, a structured questionnaire was administered to 250 women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The study employed a stratified sampling technique to ensure representation across various age groups. Data collection involved primary sources through the structured questionnaire. The research model followed the theory of planned behavior and behavioral finance theory. The analysis included regression modeling to examine associations and interactions between variables. Significant associations were found between cultural environment and decision-making, as well as behavioral biases and sustainable financial literacy. Additionally, the moderating role of risk in these relationships was highlighted.

Muhammad Zeeshan & Unbreen Qayyum (2025)

This study analyzes the potential economic impacts of digital deregulation in Pakistan using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE-Sludge) model. The model, customized for the Pakistani economy, simulates two scenarios: partial and full removal of IT-specific regulations. Our simulation results reveal highly asymmetrical impacts. While the IT sector experiences significant growth in output, exports, and trade balance, other sectors show marginal changes (partial deregulation) or substantial negative impacts (full deregulation), particularly on their trade balances. A full deregulation results in import substitution for the IT industry, exception made of the IT sector demand for imported IT products. Inter-industry analysis highlights the IT sector's increased demand for domestic inputs, but also potential "crowding out" effects on other industries. The study finds that full deregulation of IT sector in isolation, while boosting the IT sector, significantly worsens the overall trade balance due to increased import reliance in non-IT sectors. The findings underscore the need for a multi-sector phased approach to deregulation, accompanied by complementary policies to support vulnerable sectors and mitigate negative distributional consequences, to ensure broad-based economic benefits.

Yasir Zada Khan (2025)

This study examines the regulatory challenges faced by restaurant owners in Lahore and proposes a digitized, automated, and integrated system to streamline the registration, licensing, and approval processes. Using empirical data and key insights from the PIDE-RASTA Competitive Grant Program (CGP 06-160) study titled Digitization and Automation of Administrative Procedures; Building Solution to Address Sludge in Setting-Up Restaurant Businesses, the research highlights inefficiencies, excessive costs, and bureaucratic delays in the current system. A survey of 242 restaurant owners in Lahore reveals that, on average, the total cost of compliance, including informal payments and travel expenses, amounts to PKR 641,562 per establishment, with registration delays averaging 133 days. Additionally, the study quantifies the burden of regulatory "sludge," estimating that compliance costs constitute 9.46% of total setup expenses for restaurant businesses in Punjab.

Muhammad Ali Raza (2025)

This study presents a systematic bibliometric analysis of global research trends at the intersection of legal frameworks and entrepreneurial ecosystems from 2015 to 2024. Analyzing 168 peer-reviewed articles sourced from 137 journals, the research employs Bibliophagy and adheres to PRISMA guidelines to map authorship patterns, journal contributions, keyword dynamics, and thematic evolution. Findings reveal a 34.07% annual growth in publications, underscoring heightened academic and policy interest in legal-institutional drivers of entrepreneurship. The SSRN Electronic Journal dominates as the primary publication outlet, while geographic disparities highlight concentrated contributions from India, the USA, and the UK, with underrepresentation in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. Thematic clusters emphasize the centrality of "legal frameworks" and "entrepreneurship," alongside emerging focus on digital innovation and sustainability. The study identifies key authors, citation trends, and collaboration gaps, notably the absence of international co-authorship. These insights advocate for regulatory reforms, interdisciplinary collaboration, and context-sensitive strategies to foster equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Mehwish Umar & Shumaila Sadiq (2025)

Online work is becoming popular these days. Today, online work not only generates employment opportunities but also a significant source of foreign reserves, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. This research is to explore the contribution of freelancing on household well-being and empowerment in South Punjab, Pakistan. This study finds out the opportunities available for advancement in online workplaces. The study population constitutes three Divisions namely Multan, Bahawalpur and Dara Ghazi Khan. The questionnaire was divided into six parts general information, household information, respondent information, information about online work, the effect of freelancing on household wellbeing, and indicators of empowerment. The sample size was selected by using the Cochran formula and data was collected by using two LinkedIn accounts from Southern Punjab Pakistan freelancers. This study developed the Freelancers Multidimensional Empowerment Index (FMEI) and Freelancer Household Wellbeing Index (FHWBI) for Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Freelancer training plays an important role in higher freelance earnings.

Masood Ul Hassan (2025)

The fundamental objective of our research was to address job related issues of freelancers registered on crowd sourcing platform, and which is the key area of concern for HR manager of particular platform organization. For that purpose, we conducted an empirical investigation to figure out impact of freelancer value proposition on job satisfaction. Adopted from previous study, our freelancer value proposition construct comprises of economic value, autonomy value, social value, developmental value, work-life balance value, and hedonic value. This study also included construct of meaningful to explore its importance as mediator that might possibly play crucial role to mediate the relationship between freelancer value proposition (FVP) and job satisfaction (JS). Therefore, we designed a quantitative research in which data was collected through an online survey. 129 males and 79 female online workers registered on 3 crowd sourcing platforms (i.e Freelancing.com, Upwork and Fiverr) participated in the study. Data of 205 respondents was included in the study that was analyzed through PLS-SEM using Smart PLS 4.00 software tool.

Misbah Bashir (2025)

The front-line study aims to inspect the threats and opportunities presented by the "gig economy" in Pakistan. This is a review-based article that highlights the influence of technological advancement and the online economy on Pakistani's working class, potentially reducing the reliance on the traditional jobs sector, and providing new working opportunities. Similarly, it identifies the challenges like job insecurity, power imbalance, and regulatory obstacles. The main emphasis of the study is the importance of digital technological advancement and creating supportive regulations tailored to Pakistan's context to harness the gig economy's benefits completely. The prosperity of the gig economy is linked with advantages and disadvantages, notably influencing job autonomy and security. In Pakistan, regulations hinder the growth of the gig economy, underscoring the need for policies to address workers' rights and improve their working conditions. Recommendations include improvement in digital literacy, enhancing technology access, and surety of fair treatment and compensation for the online working class. However, addressing these challenges is crucial for fostering the ecosystem of the thriving freelance industry in Pakistan.

Syed Talha Ali & Uzma Zia (2025)

The digital trade in Pakistan is rising due to change in consumers' preference to buy goods and services online. This research focuses on the customer satisfaction level of the people engaged in e-commerce business in Pakistan. Using secondary data facts and qualitative techniques, the research collected the data on the customer satisfaction of consumers on the digital trade landscape in Pakistan. It analyzes customer satisfaction on the product, service, website characteristics, privacy protection, payment system, and network system. The results show that the customers are inclined towards online buying and selling, but there are few constraints due to which they prefer physical shopping. The lack of efficient internet connection is one of the most important factors. The final analysis is done by consolidating the results of the customer satisfaction model and suggesting suitable policy recommendations for the e-commerce policy of Pakistan. The suggestions include the overhauling of digital infrastructure in the country, along with focus on logistics, consumer protection, data protection, and telecommunication services.

Jamil Nasir (2025)

This paper traces the trajectory of digitalization and innovation reforms, undertaken by Pakistan Customs to facilitate cross-border trade, with special focus on Faceless Customs Assessment (FCA), the latest initiative of the Government of Pakistan under the Prime Minister's Transformational Plan for FBR. Data of over 144,000 goods declarations (GDs) of red (non-facilitated) and yellow (semi-facilitated) categories filed in 180 days, pre-intervention 90 days and 90 days post-intervention, is analyzed to assess the impact of this initiative on trade facilitation and quality of assessments. Pre-post data of assessment time, documents calling, and referrals to physical examination, reviews filed and clearance-related complaints is evaluated to assess the impact on trade facilitation. The results conclusively suggest that under the new initiative, trade facilitation has increased remarkably. For determining the impact on the quality of assessments, analysis of assessed value (AV) vis-a-vis declared value (DV) is conducted. The results suggest that revenue did not witness any dip and the quality of assessments improved due to FCA intervention.

Samia & Saud Ahmad Khan (2025)

Service exports are crucial to Pakistan's economy since they generate foreign exchange earnings while highlighting the country's potential in industries such as information technology, finance, and tourism. They derive economic diversification and employment creation and increase worldwide competitiveness. This study explores the relationship between digital technology use and service exports while assessing the state of digital adoption in Pakistan's economy. The contribution of this study is to provide the Digital Economy Development Index (DEDI) for Pakistan for the years 1993 to 2023. The index explains the level of digitalization in different eras and is connected with service export performance. Using the ARDL model, the study attempts to use DEDI, financial depth, domestic lending, and real effective exchange rate to assess its impact on service exports in Pakistan. The findings show that, over time, DEDI has a significant and beneficial effect on service exports, emphasizing the importance of digital transformation in increasing trade performance. Conversely, financial depth has a negative and significant long-term impact on service exports, demonstrating inefficiencies/slow adoption in the financial sector's integration with service commerce.

Rabia Tabassum & Khalid Mahmood (2025)

In the age of technologies and the fourth industrial revolution, e-commerce is playing positive role of introducing the digital shift in businesses. Recent pandemic is one of the major factors behind this shift. Pakistan is also among the emerging e-commerce markets holding 37th position in the list of large e-commerce markets with the annual growth of 6%. Emerging digital landscape, the market potential of e-commerce along with the increasing inclination of the enterprises and the consumers to shift towards the e-commerce further adds to the motivation behind this research in terms of finding the barriers that exist in Pakistan to promote e-commerce and finding suggestions to address these limitations. Considering the importance and contribution of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the economy of Pakistan, this research focused SMEs. Mixed method is used for this research through a quantitative survey of 750 SMEs across Pakistan, key informant interviews, and expert discussions/webinars to supplement the quantitative results of the survey and to capture the point of policy makers as well as experts.

Fasiha Fatima & Jehangir Khan (2025)

Digital transformation generates new opportunities and is a key driver of innovative resourcefulness and value creation. Today, digital enterprise is recognized as a critical component in creating jobs and economic development. In this study, we investigated the prospects for young entrepreneurs to become active members of digital business platforms worldwide, as well as the challenges these young entrepreneurs face as they learn such skills. The study was carried out through in-depth interviews with digital entrepreneurs in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. We found that digital entrepreneurship creates opportunities for people to work remotely and plays an important role in promoting gender equality by resolving socio-economic problems. For instance, the acquisition of these skills helps to increase the employability and empowerment of young entrepreneurs. These young entrepreneurs play an important role in improving the economy through digital literacy and foreign exchange earnings.

Bushra Mushtaq (2025)

As Pakistan stands at the crossroads of a digital revolution, leveraging digital transformation is critical to achieving the URAAN Pakistan vision of a trillion-dollar economy by 2035. Industrialization plays a key role in this trajectory, yet traditional linear economic models have proven inadequate for ensuring sustainability. This study explores how digital transformation can integrate circular economy (CE) principles to enhance resource efficiency and drive sustainable industrial productivity growth. This study systematically reviews 34 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and Web of Science, using Covidence software to explore key synergies between CE and green industrial productivity across various industries. Its findings reveal that the relationship between CE and green industrial productivity is well established, yet the dynamic synergies underlying both concepts remain under-researched. We advanced the literature on identifying these synergies and proposing a unique Circular Industrial Green Total Factor Productivity (CIGTFP) model which embeds CE principles based on modern technologies and innovations within Pakistan's industrial framework to achieve sustainable productivity growth.

Madeeha Quraishi (2025)

Pakistan's mining industry has long faced a lack of technological innovation, leading to low productivity, and an inability to compete globally. Many policy documents suggest that the solution may lie in facilitating the diffusion of technology through foreign investment, rather than solely relying on domestic innovation. This paper examines this viewpoint, considering lessons learned about the evolution of technology in the global mining industry, including advanced trends like "intelligent mining," "smart mining," and "mining 4.0," as well as the use of blockchain technologies to connect end consumers of mineral products to their origins. The analysis shows that the challenges facing Pakistan's mining industry extend beyond policy formulation, and the government's efforts to enhance the mining industry's contribution to the national economy must balance environmental conservation, social responsibility, and equitable distribution of the industry's benefits.

Aysha Habib, Sadia Ali & Abdul Quddoos (2025)

Inclusive development is an idea that seeks to guarantee everyone benefits from growth and social progress, regardless of gender, characteristics, and, other basic factors. However, there are still many challenges and gaps in achieving the goal of inclusivity, especially in developing countries where the availability of information and communication technology (ICT) is limited or not inclusive. The study used inclusive development as a dependent variable and the core independent variable is ICT. The study confidently asserts a significant correlation between inclusive development and ICT, utilizing a meticulously crafted index through principal component analysis (PCA) that incorporates five reliable indicators of ICT. The research aims to explore how ICT usage can promote inclusive development with the availability of basic amenities using the MDI basic (Multidimensional inclusiveness index) as a measurement of inclusive development with other determinants like renewable energy consumption, access to electricity, imports, and tourism, FDI (Foreign direct investment) and total natural resources rents used as explanatory variables globally based on data availability.

Asif Mehmood Qaisrani (2025)

The informal economy in Pakistan, estimated at $457 billion, represents a critical yet complex component of the country's economic structure. Particularly in South Punjab comprising Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan, the informal sector dominates local economies due to structural challenges, limited infrastructure, and inadequate government outreach. Despite the growing importance of digitalization as a tool for formalization and financial inclusion, South Punjab's informal economy remains largely disconnected from digital platforms, with only 9% of small businesses utilizing digital financial services. This study investigates the multifaceted barriers to digital adoption within South Punjab's informal sector through primary data collection from 100 small and medium-scale enterprises. Key findings reveal infrastructural deficits, low digital literacy, and fear of taxation, trust deficits, and the absence of specific government initiatives as the major impediments to digital integration. The research highlights how inadequate internet connectivity, limited access to affordable digital devices, and bureaucratic complexities surrounding registration processes perpetuate informality. Additionally, the absence of financial products designed for small businesses and insufficient awareness campaigns further delay digital adoption.

Naseem Faraz (2025)

This study highlights Pakistan's state of artificial intelligence (AI) preparedness and its prospects for future economic growth. Well-established evidence suggests that Al holds transformative potential across sectors by boosting productivity, accelerating innovation, and improving public service delivery. However, its effective deployment depends on a country's digital infrastructure, human capital and digital skills, and institutional readiness. Using a task-based macroeconomic model and a moment-matching calibration approach, this study examines how improvements in digital transformation (in terms of Al preparedness) affect the economic growth path in Pakistan. First, this study assesses the current state of Pakistan's digital transformation across four main pillars: digital infrastructure, human capital and digital skills, innovation and economic integration, and regulation. The analysis indicates significant structural deficits across all main indicators compared to the regional and peer countries. Second, calibrating the model, the simulated policy scenarios suggest that the improvements in these areas could increase Pakistan's baseline GDP growth by 1.8 percentage points annually. This study contributes to the literature by documenting evidence from Pakistan in the context of developing countries.

Hammad Alam (2025)

This paper uses a counterfactual analytic methodology to overcome endoge- nous selection biases, investigating how adoption of digital payments affects product pricing strategies in Pakistan's e-commerce market. We have utilized Pakistan's largest transactional dataset-584, 525 orders from March 2016 to August 2018-we narrow to 13,720 observations across the top 12 cities by order volume, then used the Heckman selection and endogenous switching technique to estimate pricing differences between digital payments and cash-on-delivery (COD). We found out: (1) Driven by cheaper running costs and dynamic pric- ing incentives, digital payments substantially lower average product prices when compared to COD. (2) Reflecting socio-cultural trust asymmetries, gender in- equalities remain; female customers suffer 18% more pricing discrimination under COD regimes. (3) Urban-rural inequalities widen pricing differences; big cities show 31% greater discounts for digital transactions because of infrastructure ben- efits. The counterfactual approach highlights inefficiencies in cash logistics and delayed settlements by further showing that COD dominance increases merchant expenses by 30%. These results underline how digital payments both improve pricing efficiency and aggravate inequality for underprivileged populations.

Suleman Aziz Lodhi (2025)

Technological advancements and their applications across sectors, ranging from health, business, and defence to even in the domain of research, have resulted in unprecedented progress worldwide. Against this backdrop, Pakistan aspires to achieve a trillion-dollar economy by 2035, with the development of its IT ecosystem as a catalyst for economic growth and innovation. However, research suggests that, it is Knowledge Ecosystems that actually deliver the economic growth. The Government should target on developing Knowledge Ecosystem rather than confining itself to IT Ecosystem. This concept paper advocates for developing Knowledge Ecosystems in the country based on analysis of critical gaps in infrastructure, policy, human capital, and stakeholder collaboration. In accordance with the analysis, further useful policy recommendations, aiming towards cultivating a conducive environment for innovation, entrepreneurship, streamlining educational curriculums and improving knowledge-sharing infrastructure have been outlined. These strategic interventions intended to propagate a more resilient, inclusive and competitive knowledge strata in Pakistan.

Muhammad Waseem & Saima Nawaz (2025)

We examine the environmental implications of Global Value Chain (GVC) participation, focusing on how institutional quality and e-government development influence CO2 emissions using panel data from 128 countries covering 1990–2018. We find that GVC integration significantly increases industrial CO2 emissions, especially in developing economies, confirming the pollution haven hypothesis based on Fixed Effects and Dynamic Common Correlated Effects (MG) models. However, countries with stronger institutional frameworks and advanced e-government systems exhibit lower emissions, highlighting the role of governance and digital infrastructure in promoting environmental sustainability. Our contributions are threefold. First, we provide cross-country empirical evidence linking GVC depth to emission intensities. Second, we introduce e-government as a novel moderating factor in environmental outcomes, extending the digital governance literature. Third, we demonstrate how institutional effectiveness alters the GVC-emissions relationship across development contexts. For sustainable trade-led growth, nations-particularly in the Global-must invest in institutional capacity and digital public governance. Moreover, climate strategies and trade policies should be co-designed to account for digital and institutional readiness.

Muhammad Sadil (2025)

The basic purpose of this study is to examine the influence of user perception on mobile banking adoption intentions in the rural and urban populations of District Khushab. Further it investigates whether digital literacy serves as a moderator that strengthens or weakens this association. The population is divided into four clusters, and then convenience sampling was used to collect data from both rural and urban residents of each cluster. A structured questionnaire was administered, resulting in a total of 441 responses, of which 207 are from rural respondents and 234 from urban respondents. Regression and moderation analysis were performed to test the study hypotheses. The study findings reveled that perceived usefulness and ease of use positively influence mobile banking adoption intentions in both rural and urban populations, while perceived risk negatively affects adoption intentions in rural areas. Digital literacy plays a significant moderating role in strengthening the relationships between user perceptions and mobile banking adoption intentions in the rural sample.

Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Hamza Amjad & Saleem Khan (2025)

Blockchain technology has the potential to transform Pakistan's industrial sector, particularly the real estate market, by enhancing transparency, reducing transaction costs, and minimizing market frictions. While blockchain adoption is increasing globally to improve market efficiency, Pakistan remains behind in integrating this technology. This study aims to bridge this gap by simulating the impact of blockchain adoption on real estate market efficiency, focusing on Islamabad. Using an Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) approach, the study tests four key hypotheses: (i) the effect of blockchain on transparency and fraudulent cases, (ii) its impact on average sale time and liquidity, (iii) the role of price discovery in the absence of traditional dealers, and (iv) changes in transaction costs due to blockchain implementation. The simulation results reveal that blockchain adoption significantly enhances market efficiency by reducing asymmetric information, increasing transparency, improving liquidity, and drastically lowering transaction costs. Through tokenization, smart contracts, and decentralized ledgers, blockchain disrupts the role of intermediaries, leading to a more efficient and transparent market.