🇵🇰 Pakistan Episodes

Our series looking to break the echo chambers and talk across the aisles continues with this episode. Uzair Younus, Bilal Lakhani and Nayab Gohar Jan comes on for a debate on who is to be blamed for the current crisis.  Is it PTI? Is it PDM? Is it the Establishment?  Watch now!  The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience    And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience        The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.  Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89

Ahsan Bari is a composer, musician and the founder of Sounds of Kolachi. Ahsan Bari comes on the podcast to discuss music, the process of the artist, doing commercial work, life as a karachite and AR Rahman. Apologies for the audio being less than perfect on this podcast. There was a technical error on the Rodecaster so we had to use the back up audio. The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience  And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience    The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.  Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89     Chapters: 0:00 Karachi Walo kee Kahaniyan 5:30 Rain, Flooding and Climate Change 8:15 How to tell stories with Music 15:30 The Creative Mind and Working for Money 25:45 Arts Education: Learning Performing Arts 30:00 Aamir Zaki, Faraz Anwar and Musicians feeling their talent is not recognized 43:00 Sounds of Kolachi 47:50 What is Fusion Music? 53:50 A.R. Rahman 56:40 "Inspirations" vs Plagiarism  1:02:50 Differences between Eastern and Western Music 1:08:00 Mehdi Hasan 1:14:00 Story of "baray sahab" 1:18:00 Teaching to the next generation  1:25:10 Corporatization of Music 1:28:00 The journey of an artist: no shortcuts 1:34:30 Arts Council 1:40:00 Memories of Karachi 1:46:00 Karachi's current state 1:50:00 Producing Art in Pakistan

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings In tonight’s conversation with our special guest, Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi. How does Muzamil feel about being the guest? What was his life growing up? The thought behind Lolz Studios & how it went? How did the Paris attack video affect him? How did he handle the subsequent depression? How did he end up in Teradata? When did he pursue the Media, and how did he build on it? Why did the Prime Minister meetup occur? What transpired during the Covid worldwide crisis? During his time away from social media, what else did he do? Why does he always keep "Value" in mind? What’s the thought behind TBT? How does Muzamil feel about “Thought Behind Things”? What impact has TBT created? Is TBT shutting down? Why did he not choose to work in data? Why are his beliefs now in doubt? How does he envision the Pakistan of 2050? His predictions, and what should be done? Catch this and so much more in tonight’s episode. Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Usra’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usramurtaza/  One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ

Adi Verma is a burned-out banker turned online writer and solopreneur.   Adi Verma comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss his healing journey; from being depressed, anxious and addicted at age 32 drinking and eating his way to Diabetes, Adi managed to turn his life around; here are some of his life observations on how he healed myself and you could too.  On this episode, we discuss Mental Health,  Realizing you need help, Therapy,  How to Love Yourself, How to work consistently to change your perspective, Gratitude and Addiction.   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience      And Please stay in touch:  https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience  The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.    Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89   Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 3:00 Adi Verma's Journey: Realizing I need help 16:00 Negative Self-Talk and Healing the inner child 28:00 Changing Perspectives by being consistent 35:00 Obviously I asked this 37:00 Addiction and Dopamine hits 45:00 Life Realizations: How I healed myself

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings  In tonight’s conversation with our special guest, Syed Ali Zia Jaffery. What was his journey like? What was his first job like, and how did his career progress? How was his experience with Meningitis? What’s really happening in Europe? Repercussions, Globalization & what we need to realize? Will the Russia-Ukraine war affect us? Why are we even in this situation? Where is Pakistan standing right now? Why don’t we take oil and gas from Russia? The importance of having good relations? Pakistan-US relations? Where are we headed from here? How did the Indians cope with it back then? Understanding India-Pakistan relations, & what should be done? What is the main source of conflict between Pakistan and India? Is this a war game? Catch this and so much more in tonight’s episode.  Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Ali’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/syedalizia1992?s=11&t=JEd0Er913H0wKkZ8tzb5RA One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ Support our podcast: https://anchor.fm/syed-muzamil-hasan-zaidi3/support   You can also audio stream our podcast on the following platforms:  • Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3z1cE7F    • Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/2S84VEd     • Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3cgIkfI

Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings  In tonight’s conversation with our special guest, Haseeb Awan. How did he decide on his profession? What has his journey been like? How committed were they to finding solutions back then? Did they anticipate it would be so successful back then? What was his early life like? How does he feel about his growth? What was his experience in Y Combinator like? What happened after? Why did he start EFANI? How do SIM swaps work? What does the company do? Services, Security protocols & USP? Does he plan on exploring other niches? Can we really protect our data? Implications of cybersecurity? Is Web 3.0 a gamechanger? Does the current model depict wealth generation, and how to distribute it? Can currencies die? Why are we excluded from Paypal and other things? Should Pakistan even be concentrating on cryptocurrency right now? How does he envision the Pakistan of 2050? Catch this and much more in tonight’s episode.   Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way!  Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Haseeb’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/haseeb Haseeb’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haseebawan/ One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ Support our podcast: https://anchor.fm/syed-muzamil-hasan-zaidi3/support   You can also audio stream our podcast on the following platforms:  • Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3z1cE7F    • Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/2S84VEd     • Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3cgIkfI 

Nayab Gohar Jan is a social activist, leftist and one of the organizers of Aurat March Lahore. She has recently joined PPP.   Dr. Minahil Asim is an Assistant Professor of Education Leadership and Program Evaluation at the University of Ottawa. She studies education reforms and policies that are focused on improving learning outcomes and educational trajectories for disadvantaged students.  Preh Memon is a content creator and a writer; she has a keen eye on the social issues of Pakistan and often writes about them.   The four of us get together for a discussion on why political reform is difficult in Pakistan.  The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience                And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience                The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.                                  Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89         Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 3:15 Why did Nayab join PPP? 6:00 Why PPP has lacked in Implementation? 9:00 PPP; Feudalism and rural politics 13:00 Perception of PPP/PMLN and Bureaucracy in Punjab 23:00 Why do you see more development in Punjab? 34:00 Sindh and PPP's performance 44:00 Local Government and Political Will 48:00 Why Political Reforms are difficult 1:13:00 Establishment impeding political reform 1:19:00 Evolution vs Revolution; is gradual progress worth sacrificing ideals? 1:30:00 Debates within the party? Is it a one man rule? 1:38:30 Overseas Pakistanis  1:44:00 Degrading National Discourse and Misogyny 2:08:30 Trauma of growing up in the 90s in Pakistan

On Tuesday evening, a fire broke out at Mekaal Hasan's iconic Digital Fidelity Studios in Lahore that led to its wreckage. Friends and fan of Mekaal are doing a fundraiser to raise funds to rebuild the studio. Please contribute: gofundme.com/f/rebuild-dfs  Mekaal Hassan, Haniya Aslam, Omran Shafique and the Takatak boys come on for this special live fundraiser where they share their memories of the Digital Fidelity Studios in Lahore, talk about their musical journeys, creating communities, safe spaces and discuss music.   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience                And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience                The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.                                  Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings In tonight’s conversation with our special guests, Talha Khan and Hasan Anwer. What was their early life like? What was Talha’s first job and how did his career progress? Why did he go to China for his MBA? What is it like in China? What did he do in the UK? What was his role in McKinsey? Talha’s theatre background? What was Hasan's first job, and how did his career progress? Why did they end up in PET - Pakistan Environmental Trust? Climate Finance and what project was he working on in California? What was next for him? Coming back to Pakistan, how was the organization formed, and how did things work out? What kind of fuel did they produce? Why did he leave the organization, and what did he do after? What is PET about, and how was it created? What problems are they working to solve? Zero Emissions and why do work on it? Is this economically impacting us? Are there any pros to this? How are they currently addressing this? What impact is Pakistan really making? Is Balochistan fertile, and what opportunities do we have? Carbon as a commodity? Can scaling up the local markets solve our problem? What are they doing to rewild Pakistan? Rewilding Pakistan, and how will it work? How do they envision the Pakistan of 2050? Catch this and a lot more in tonight’s episode. Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Talha’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktalha/ Hasan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasan-anwer-95470135/ One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ

Asad Ali Toor is a Pakistani journalist and vlogger. He currently reports from the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He has also worked as a producer for the Aaj News.   Asad Ali Toor comes on the podcast to discuss the recent arrest of Imran Riaz Khan, the fascism of the state, PTI, PDM, Journalistic ethics and intelligence agencies approaching journalists.   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.  Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience         And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience         The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.                  Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89      Chapters:  0:00 Imran Riaz's arrest and PTI's response 4:00 Asad Ali Toor's case 7:00 Asad Umer and Military's control of PTI 9:45 Abhi walay bhi toh selected hain 11:45 Being labelled a Jiyala or a Patwari 14:!5 Why don't you support PTI's stance? 18:00 Civilian Supremacy and Military Intervention 20:00 Journalists working for the Establishment 23:00 Meeting judges and journalist ethics 30:00 Youtube Journalism and a journalist's credibility 38:00 Hearsay, Sources and Evidence in Journalism 48:00 Difference of opinion in the Institution 50:30 Sexism, choice of words and being cancelled on Twitter 59:30 Attacks on Journalists and Being gaslighted online 1:08:00 Conspiracy Theories and Tourism

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings  In tonight’s conversation with our special guests. Anoushey Ashraf and Rafae Dossal. What is Waggles, and why was it started? What do they do, & how are they different? How has the brand evolved? What has Rafae’s journey been like? Why does your pet require this? Are the ingredients supplied locally? Why does Anoushey like pets? Animal rights, and what needs to be done? Pricing, and the cost breakdown? How did Anoushey come across Waggles, and why does she use it? What is the company's strategy going forward? How long does it stay fresh? The fish tank, & what it’s like to keep fish in Pakistan? How do they plan to compete on the global stage? How does Rafae see the Pakistan of 2050? How does Anoushey envision the Pakistan of 2050? Catch this and much more in tonight’s episode.  Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way!  Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Anoushey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anousheyashraf/ Rafae’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafaedossal/ Waggles Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagglespetfood/ One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ

Ali Aftab Saeed is a journalist, content creator and a musician.  Tamkenat is a doctor and a content creator.   The three of us get together for our first episode in the new studio - this was bound to be epic.    The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience    And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience    The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.          Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings  In tonight’s conversation with our special guests, Akram Ali, Badar Khushnood, and Yang Gu. What has Yang’s Journey been like? How did OPPO become one of Pakistan’s leading brands? What is their target market? What’s upcoming at OPPO, and will Pakistan get to see it? Where is our software industry at? What has Akram Ali’s Journey been like? Pro Pakistani and how it’s going? When to expect 5G? Why haven’t we been able to get 5G until now? What is OPPO doing in terms of 5G? What is OPPO doing in terms of 5G? Is there potential for 5G in Pakistan? Which countries have 5G and how’s it going? What are some used cases? The importance of having the right technology at the right time? Can 5G change the future of jobs in Pakistan? What needs to be done? How does Yang envision the Pakistan 0f 2050? How does Akram see Pakistan 30 years from now? In Badar's opinion, What should be done? Catch this and a-lot of other interesting insights in tonight’s episode. Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Akram Ali's Instagram: https://instagram.com/akramali1?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Akram Ali's Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/akramalipropk?_rdc=1&_rdr Badar Khushnood's Instagram: https://instagram.com/badar76?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Badar Khushnood's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/badar76 OPPO’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oppopakistan/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D OPPO’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPPOPakistan/ One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings In tonight’s conversation with the Co-Founder of Qist Bazaar, Mr. Arif Lakhani. Diving right into Arif’s different nodes of work? How does Arif manage everything? How much one can earn through film and drama production? How has he ended up on the production side with Hareem Farooq? What is the process of producing a drama in Pakistan? Has Arif focused on the Video on Demand-side? How can we pitch any series to Netflix? How Arif’s journey has been with Qist Bazaar? What is Qist Bazaar? How transparent and Shariah-compliant are their processes? How is Qist Bazaar tackling the loan sharks scare among the masses? If someone loses their job, what are the payment terms at Qist Bazaar? Will we ever see data collaboration in partnerships in Pakistan? Tune in to know more about Grameen Bank, Arif’s educational background, and how Arif envisions Pakistan of 2050! Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Arif’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariflakhani One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ Support our podcast: https://anchor.fm/syed-muzamil-hasan-zaidi3/support

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings  In tonight’s conversation with our special guest, Parvez Abbasi. What has Parvez’s journey been like? Why did he move to London, and how did it go? What was his first job like? Parvez’s first investment. What was life like in London during the 70s? Initially, what was his role at British Telecom & how did it progress? Why did he switch? What caused his relocation to Pakistan? How did he figure out what he needed to do here? Joining Mobilink and what was his experience working there? Why was he laid off? What happened after? How did he end up starting his own company? What was next for him? What projects did he work on? Why did they move back to London and then come back? The thought behind National Incubation Center? How are they growing? How do they fund it? What partners do they have? Why wasn’t it working out? Would they think about altering the model right now? How many startups do they incubate? Has there been any evolution? What is an incubation center? How can people explore the NIC? How does he envision the Pakistan of 2050? Catch this and much more in tonight’s episode. Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Parvez’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parvezabbasi/ One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings  In tonight’s conversation with our special guest, Fahad Yousaf. What has Fahad’s Journey been like? How did he get into Chartered Accountancy and how did it go? How did he end up at LUMS? Fahad’s experience in LUMS? Joining Mobilink? What does he like about Islamabad? The food in Islamabad? What was working at Mobilink like? Why was Zong a defining moment in his career? How to know what to do in life? Work-life balance? Moving to Nestle and how did his career progress? Conformity and how does Nestle manage it? Moving to Nescafe -  Why do we consume so much tea? Why has Nescafe Basement been paused? Has inflation affected them? Have they started beans, pods, etc? Tea - heavy import bill Why hasn’t the market share of processed milk increased over time? Why did he decide to start a school and how’s it going? Will he be able to scale it? How does he envision the Pakistan of 2050? Catch this and so much more in tonight’s episode. Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Fahad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fahad-yousaf-6795285/ One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ

Who is responsible for the current crisis? Is it PTI or is it PMLN?  What will it take to get out of this mess?  What is the Supertax? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?  We often talk over each other, rather than talking to each other.  We don't even bother listening to the other side, we read/watch to argue, not to understand, not to see where they are coming from.  Social media makes enemies out of all of us. This is why I invited a staunch PTI Supporter, a staunch PML-N supporter and a public policy expert to actually debate the things we are all talking about on social media with some actual nuance as opposed to calling each other biased, youthiyas and patwaris.  Uzair younus is director of the Pakistan initiative at the Atlantic council, a dc-based think tank, and host of the podcast pakistonomy.  Bilal Lakhani is a columnist for Express Tribune and a recipient of the James A Wechsler Award for International Reporting. Supports PTI.  Mustafa Bajwa is a public sector strategy and operations consultant. Supports PML-N.  The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience  And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience  The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.      Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89  Chapters:  Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 4:00 Framing the current crisis 8:00 The November appointment and the Vote of No Confidence 21:00 Did PML-N want immediate elections? 33:00 The Privilege of PTI Supporters 44:00 PMLN's biggest threat is from the army 51:00 Asad Umer 54:00 Supertax: What is it? Is it good? Is it bad? 1:08:00 The need for hard decisions and political capital 1:27:00 Politial consensus and the elite status quo 1:35:00 Political Instability and Anti-military politics 1:50:30 Zardari 1:56:00 Peoples Questions

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings  In tonight’s conversation with our special guest, M. Mudassar Aqil. What was his early life like? How did he start a career in banking and how did it progress? What role did he play while working there, and what was his last job? Why did he come back to Pakistan and does he regret it? Joining Alfalah - Quality Assurance & FINCA Microfinance Bank Limited. How do microfinance banks operate? Why did he become interested in microfinance? What problem is microfinance solving? What problem are we facing in Pakistan? Why did he join Easypaisa? Why join Easypaisa? Why should people be brought into the banking system? How does business banking work? Is the economy being affected? Are they working with any startups? Are they working or willing to work with any startups? Why haven't people gotten used to QR codes yet? What needs to be done to make payments digital? Eventually, will agent commission be reduced? Mudassar’s opinion on the current ecosystem? Where do they stand on investments? Is it possible to have an applet within Easypaisa? How does he envision the banking ecosystem & Pakistan of 2050? Catch this and a lot more in tonight’s episode.  Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Mudassar’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-mudassar-aqil-ab13b811 One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ

One of Pakistan pre-eminent economists and the founder of BISP, Dr. Kaiser Bengali, joins us on The Pakistan Experience to break down Pakistan's political economy and what stops economic reform in Pakistan.   On this deep dive podcast, we discuss IMF, the current crisis, the defence budget, Bhutto's nationalization, Zia-ul-Haq, economic reform and protectionism.  Do we have any options but to go to the IMF?  Is IMF evil?  Who stops economic reform in Pakistan?  What will fix our economy's structural flaws?   Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience.     Kaiser Bengali is an economist with over 40 years of experience in teaching, research and policy advice in Pakistan and abroad. He has a master’s in economics from Boston University, USA, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Karachi, Pakistan. He has taught and conducted research at prestigious institutions in Pakistan, such as the Applied Economics Research Centre (AERC), University of Karachi, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology (SZABIST), and was Managing Director of the Social Policy & Development Centre (SPDC), Karachi.     The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience      And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience        The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.              Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89         Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Was IMF Pakistan's only option and lack of planning 5:45 What stops economic reform? 9:45 Ayub Khan and Bhutto's Development 11:30 Military Dictatorships and Political Economy 17:00 Bhutto's Nationalization 24:00 18th Amendment: Is the problem the Provinces or the Center? 28:30 Pakistan can't increase revenue in the short run 32:30 Privatization 40:00 Is the IMF "neutral" and will Pakistan go bankrupt? 46:00 Foreign Ownership of Enterprises and Investment 49:00 Pakistan has a narrow base of economy and lack of Value Addition 54:00 What Kaiser Bengali did in the Government 59:30 Three Major Structural Flaws in our Economy 1:06:00 Unsustainable Growth and Elite lobbies 1:10:30 Government Intervention and Agriculture 1:15:30 Stock Market 1:18:00 Hyperinflation and Devaluation 1:22:00 Petrodollars trap and IMF's micromanagement 1:24:50 State Bank Autonomy 1:27:50 The people need to protest 1:32:50 Differences with Ishrat Hussain

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings     In tonight’s conversation with our special guest, Dr. Aftab Maroof. What was his early life like? Participating in the family business and why did he leave it? What did he do after? When did she start teaching and how did the journey progress? Getting a scholarship - COTS and how was it like living abroad? What was his research based on? Was his family also there? Why did they come back to Pakistan? Where did he work after coming back? Why was it a good time to choose FAST? What has he done for the University until now? How and Why did Fast University begin? How did it expand? The first admission and why so many people applied? Aftab’s personal journey? When did he become the director and what happened after? Why did he leave? Getting the Chiniot Campus constructed and the size of all campuses? How do they decide where and how to make a new campus? What challenges do they face? How is the board chosen? What model do they follow and is there room for improvement? Research, and how they promote it? Is something missing in our system? Why haven’t there been any placements here? Is Pakistan under an Educational emergency? Why aren’t most of our graduates employable? What’s the solution to this? Can we recover the money we spend on education? How can better resources be created? Why don’t our universities offer additional courses/diplomas? Why are they starting the Fintech Degree? How does he see the Pakistan of 2050? Catch this and a lot more in tonight’s episode. Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings   • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan   Dr. Aftab’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aftab-maroof-2b08242b/ One8nine Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6akyz6EpkwyzBmKh0L2rSQ