Muhammad Tariq

Background: The Government of Pakistan is accelerating digital transformation through major initiatives such as the Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP), which helped boost IT exports to $3.223 billion in FY 2023–24 and expanded broadband access to over 139 million users. Programs like DigiSkills.pk have trained more than 600,000 individuals, while digital governance tools such as e-office systems and public health apps have significantly improved service delivery and efficiency. The rise of startups, adoption of AI policies, and preparations for 5G rollout reflect a shift toward a technology-driven, inclusive, and innovative economy. Purpose: Therefore, the present study investigates the effects of digitalization, education, institutional quality, and technological innovation on inclusive growth (IG) in Pakistan from 2000 to 2023. Methods: The research employs both regression techniques (FMOLS, DOLS, and CCR) and supervised machine learning models, including Support Vector Machine, Lasso Regression, Ridge Regression, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, KNN, and Decision Tree. Results: The finding from machine learning models indicate ICT as the most influential driver of IG, followed by technological innovation, education, and institutional quality. Regression estimates similarly confirm the positive and significant role of all four predictors in fostering IG. Among the machine learning models, Support Vector Machine demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy, while Decision Tree performed the weakest. Policy recommendation: The study provides important policy recommendations aimed at achieving inclusive and sustainable economic development aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Inclusive growth (IG) aims to create decent work and economic opportunities for all, including marginalized populations, which aligns with the SDG-8 objective of promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Many studies measure IG through a single dimension, overlooking its multidimensional economic, social, health, and sustainability aspects. This study contributes by constructing a multidimensional IG index and using the four dimensions and 15 indicators, which cover all the aspects of IG. Moreover, the study investigates the determinants of IG with a particular focus on foreign remittances and institutional quality in Pakistan from 1996 to 2021. The bootstrap auto regressive distributive lag (BARDL), fully modified ordinary least-squares and dynamic ordinary least-squares techniques are employed for estimating the results. The long-run estimates reveal that remittances, institutional quality, trade openness and financial development showed positive effects on IG. While inflation, population growth and unemployment exert a negative impact on IG. Moreover, BARDL short-run estimates reveal that remittances, institutional quality and financial development have a positive effect on IG. In contrast, population growth and trade openness have a negative impact on IG. The policy advice is that the government develop strategies to optimize the inflow of international remittances and enhance the institutional quality to promote the IG in Pakistan.

This study investigates the counter cyclical role of fiscal and monetary policies in promoting environmental sustainability across 15 developing countries over 2002–2020. Specifically, the study focuses on the impact of government expenditures (GE) and real interest rates (IR) on both ecological footprint (EF) and carbon emissions (CO ₂ ). Dynamic Seemingly Unrelated Regression method is used for estimating the coefficients. The findings reveal that expansionary fiscal policy (increase in GE) and contractionary monetary policy (increase in IR) contribute to preserving environmental quality, as measured by EF. Interestingly, when it comes to CO ₂ , these macroeconomic policies appear to have a different effect, potentially impacting environmental quality negatively. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of these policies in achieving environmental sustainability shall be measured in terms of EF instead of CO ₂ . In addition, empirical results highlight the significance of other variables, such as renewable energy use, GDP per capita, globalisation, and population, influencing the EF. Given the findings that expansionary fiscal policy (increased GE) and contractionary monetary policy (increased IR) both led to an increase in CO ₂ while decreasing the EF, it is recommended that developing countries pursue these policies. The decrease in EF is a more comprehensive measure of environmental sustainability, encompassing broader aspects of human demand on nature and overall environmental impact.

The dimensions of monetary policy and institutional quality have a significant role in shaping macroeconomic stability, influencing inflation control, investment flows, and the long‐term trajectory of economic growth. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the impact of monetary policy (interest rate; exchange rate) and institutional quality (Political Stability; Absence of Violence) on inflation (CPI), investment (FDI), and economic growth (GDP) in G‐10 countries using contemporary econometric methodologies from 1996 to 2022. The methodology includes the use of second‐generation unit root tests, the Westerlund co‐integration test, CCEMG technique, and FMOLS and DOLS estimation. The results showed that monetary policy and institutional quality have a negative impact on inflation. The exchange rate negatively affects investment, while the interest rate and institutional quality positively influence investment. Additionally, the exchange rate and institutional quality positively impact economic growth, whereas the interest rate has a negative effect on economic growth. Therefore, policymakers must exercise caution when attempting to incentivize investment through interest rate policies. This is to make sure that interest rates don't unintentionally slow down the economy's growth or disrupt inflation stability. The prime focus of the present study is to assess the role of monetary policy implications along with strong institutions on inflation, investment, and economic growth.

This article examines the impact of government effectiveness (GE) and technological innovation on economic growth and environmental degradation in Middle East & North Africa countries. The study utilizes panel data from the period of 2002–2020. The findings indicate that there is a significant and positive relationship between innovation (INV) and CO₂ emissions (0.0244), while GE has a significant and negative impact on CO₂ emissions (−0.5753). In a similar vein, it can be observed that both INV and government efficacy exert a substantial and favorable influence on the process of economic growth (0.0353 and 0.0773). Furthermore, the interaction of INV and GE showed a noteworthy moderating effect on CO₂ emissions (−0.1581). Conversely, it exhibited a more pronounced positive influence on economic growth (0.1122). The study highlights that synergizing INV with GE is essential for attaining sustainable economic growth in the studied area.

Purpose: The measurement of women's economic welfare and exploring its underlying factors have been undervalued in the context of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This study addressed this gap by focusing on assessing women's subjective economic welfare and its socioeconomic and cultural determinants in the education and health sectors within Mardan, Northern Pakistan.Design/methodology/approach: The study used stratified random sampling techniques for the selection of sample respondents and collected data through a well-structured questionnaire. To measure women’s economic welfare, the study utilizes Lorenz curves, the Gini index, the Sen Social Welfare function and an individual's gross monthly income. Furthermore, the ordinary least squares method was utilized to analyze the determinants of economic welfare.Findings: The findings show greater income inequality and a lower welfare level for women in the education sector compared to the health sector. Likewise, the study identifies several key determinants, such as age, educational qualification, job experience, respect for working women, outside and work-place problems and the suffering of family members of working women for their economic well-being.Originality/value: This study makes valuable contributions to the literature by focusing on the cultural perspective of Pakhtun women in Mardan and providing a context-specific understanding of subjective economic welfare. Additionally, the authors collected first-hand data, which gave an original outlook on working women's current economic welfare level. Furthermore, this study undertakes a comparative analysis of working women's welfare in the health and education sectors. This comparison offers a more accurate portrayal of the challenges and opportunities specific to these occupations.Peer review: The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2023-0246