Search

Every economy requires a sophisticated and efficient financial system to prosper its development. A healthy financial system may be integral to the sound fundamentals of an economy. The objective of the study is to investigate the impact of financial indicators on human development in Pakistan by using annual data from 1975 to 2010. Data is analyzed by cointegration theory, Granger causality test and variance decomposition, etc. The results reveal that financial development indicators act as an important driver for increase in human capital in Pakistan. Results indicate that causality runs from financial indicators to human capital except credit to private sector (CPS) but not vice versa. Financial indicators are closely associated with economic growth and human development in Pakistan. Variance decomposition analysis shows that among all the financial indicators, broad money supply (M2) has exerted the largest contribution to changes in human capital.

The objective of the study is to investigate the influence of agricultural technologies on carbon emissions in Pakistan by using annual data from 1975 to 2010. Data is analyzed by some econometrics techniques including cointegration theory, Granger causality test, variance decomposition, etc. The results reveal that agricultural technologies act as an important driver for increase in carbon emissions in Pakistan. Results indicate that unidirectional causality runs from agriculture machinery to carbon emissions but not vice versa. Agricultural technologies are closely associated with economic growth and carbon emissions in Pakistan. Variance decomposition analysis shows that among all the agricultural technologies, granting subsidies to the agriculture sector have exerts the largest contribution to changes in carbon emissions. Conversely, agricultural irrigated land seems relatively the least contributors on changes in carbon emissions due to infertility of total irrigated land available in Pakistan.

The lack of asset accumulation may be one of the major reasons for poverty; consequently, the poor have not been able to sustain growth. Investment in the assets of the poor will play an essential role for formulating pro-poor growth policies. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential impact of FDI on the poor in Pakistan over the period 1985–2011. The regression model encompassing the impact of FDI on poverty reflects that if there is one percent increase in FDI is likely to reduce poverty by 0.47% at urban, 0.44% at rural and 0.46% at national levels respectively. The result concludes that although, there is a positive impact of FDI on poverty, this positive impact is not sufficient enough to conclude that investment is pro-poor in Pakistan, because, an intensity of income inequality is more than the FDI's poverty reduction at rural, urban and national levels. Pakistan's investment, poverty and inequality statistics were studied for the first time in terms of pro-poor growth scenario. Pro-poor investment index (PPII) and poverty equivalent investment rate (PEIR) reveal that investment is pro-poor in Pakistan from 1985–1986 to 2002–2005, however, the subsequent years from 2005 to 2011 demonstrated pro-rich investment scenario in Pakistan. If the investment still remains anti-poor in the subsequent years as reflected in the years 2005 to 2011, there is a likelihood that investment may not trickle down to the poor but instead to the non-poor in Pakistan. Thus checking vulnerability would offer wide option for the policy makers to settle the issue of the severity of poverty in the future.