This book analyses the paradoxes of Pakistan's economy, meritocratic domestic policy and the role of the state and civil society. It will interest academics in South Asian Studies, in particular South Asian economics and politics.

Fayyaz Baqir is a Development Practitioner and a visiting scholar at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He served as senior advisor on civil society at the United Nations and CEO of Trust for Voluntary Organizations. He received top contributors' awards from the UNDP's global poverty reduction network.

Introduction; Chapter 1 Economic vision of Pakistani elites and challenges of transition from patronage to participatory practices; Chapter 2 Politics of constitution making in Pakistan: Why religion and authoritarianism are hands in glove?; Chapter 3 Development and Planning Administration: Where checks and balance fail?; Chapter 4 Management of resources and revenues: transformation or regression?; Chapter 5 Incidence of Taxes: Who bears how much burden?; Chapter 6 Pakistan's Achilles' Heel: under allocation, underspending or underperformance?; Chapter 7 Feminist Discourse and rent seeking under patriarchy; Chapter 8 Non-profit sector and Informal economy: entrepreneurial spirit in action; Chapter 9 Digital Economy, entrepreneurship, and innovation; Chapter 10 Globalization, Global Jihad and Civil Society; Chapter 11 Limitations of the political discourse