Long-run Determinants of Private Saving Behaviour in Pakistan

Compared to the rapidly-growing economies of Southeast Asia, the growth performance of the Pakistan economy was significantly weaker during the 1970s and 1980s. While the Southeast Asian countries made substantial progress in improving living standards, the average standard of living, as measured by the GNP per capita, was virtually stagnant in Pakistan over this period. Much of the difference in economic performance between Pakistan and the Southeast Asian countries is often attributed to the low rates of saving and investment in Pakistan.1 Indeed, the differences in rates of domestic investment are often attributed to the differences in rates of domestic saving. Hence, the disparity in the growth performance between Pakistan and the Southeast Asian countries over the past two decades relates to the differences in saving rates, and an understanding of the fundamental determinants of saving in Pakistan assumes critical importance. This paper reviews trend developments in the private saving behaviour in Pakistan, and compares these trends with those seen in the Southeast Asian economies during the period since 1970. Using co-integration analysis, the long-run properties of Pakistan’s saving rate are examined, with a view to identifying the main determinants of saving. The principal finding is that about one-half of the trend increase in saving appears to be related to financial development and deepening. In contrast to the results obtained by Faruqee and Husain (1994) and Husain (1995) for the Southeast Asian countries, demographics appear not to have played an important role in determining saving behaviour in Pakistan, possibly because high rates of population growth during the past three decades resulted in a virtually unchanged demographic structure of the population.

Private Saving and Its Determinants: The Case of Pakistan

Despite a gradual increase over the past twenty years, the rate of private saving in Pakistan remains low as compared with many of the developing economies in Asia. Empirical analysis of the long-run behaviour of saving in Pakistan suggests that financial deepening, though still at a relatively early stage of development, accounted for much of the rise in private saving. In contrast with the experience in the economies of Southeast Asia, where the demographic structure of the population changed significantly over the past two decades, high rates of population growth have kept the age structure of Pakistan’s population virtually unchanged and appear to account for the disparity between the saving rates in Pakistan and Southeast Asia. Hence, an increase in the long-run rate of private saving will likely require further financial development and a decline in the growth rate of the population.

American Muslim Health Disparities: The State of the Medline Literature

Background: While religious beliefs and values influence health behaviors, conventional health disparities research rarely examines health outcomes by religious affiliation particularly within multi-ethnic minority communities. Methods: Using a systematic strategy we searched the Medline literature to identify empiric studies that report on health disparities between American Muslims and non-Muslim groups residing in America. In addition to use religious affiliation descriptors for Muslim groups we utilized geographic and ethnicity terms such as “South Asian” or “Pakistani” as proxy terms to help uncover studies of American Muslims. Results: 171 empirical studies were captured. South Asians and Arabs were the most commonly studied groups, and mental health was the most common studied health condition. The overwhelming majority of studies did not assess connections between the Islamic faith and health outcomes. Conclusion: Healthcare disparities among American Muslims remain under-investigated. The few empirical studies of American Muslim groups, or of ethnic groups with large numbers of Muslims, rarely examine relationships between Islam-related factors and health outcomes and thereby miss an opportunity to understand the relationships between religion and health disparities

Mughals and the Rhythms of Overland Trade

The arrival of the European shipping in the Indian Ocean region is marked out as a momentous development that signalled the intensification of maritime trade at the expense of the overland trade Against this context the present paper by focussing on the Mughal involvement in the overland trade makes a case about looking at the two channels of trade delivery as mutually reinforcing that worked in tandem and secured best outcomes for all the concerned stakeholder

Centripetal Forces in China's Economic Takeoff

This paper uses provincial time series data from the People's Republic of China to empirically investigate two propositions relating to economic development: (i) that economic takeoff--or an acceleration in economic growth--is associated with inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI), possibly through technological transfer; and (ii) that takeoff is accompanied, at least in the short term, by widening income inequality. The results indicate that FDI flows have increased the rate of convergence in per capita incomes across China's provinces. However, the pattern of FDI, which has gone mainly to the relatively wealthy provinces, has caused different provinces to converge toward different steady states. . Copyright 2002, International Monetary Fund

Micropropagation Of Lentil (Lens Culinaris Medik.) Using Pulse Treatment Of İmmature Plumular Apices

Lentil is highly recalcitrant and is difficult to regenerate through tissue culture. The study is aimed to overcome this problem by developing an efficient regeneration system using immature plumular apice explants from immature zygotic embryos of Turkish lentil cv. Ciftci. The results showed that 10 mg/l BA pulse treatment of explants for 10 days followed by culture on MS medium containing various concentrations of BA-IBA supplemented with activated charcoal and PVP affected shoot regeneration frequency, mean number of shoots per explant and shoot length. Irrespective of the pulse treatment, combination of BA with IBA in MS medium promoted longer shoots compared to any concentration of BA alone. Maximum number of shoots (4.25) per explant was recorded on MS medium containing 0.25 mg/l BA + 0.1 mg/l IBA after pulse treatment. The longest shoots (6.17 cm) were recorded in pulse treated explants when cultured on MS medium containing 0.25 mg/l BA + 0.1 mg/l IBA. The regenerated shoots were rooted on MS medium containing 0.25 to 1 mg/l IBA or 1 mg/l IAA. The rooted plants were acclimatized at 24±2oC in the growth room where, they flowered and set seeds

In Vitro Shoot Regeneration of Common Vetch (Vicia sativa L.) Using Immature Cotyledons

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is multi usage legume as a cover crop, green manure, pasture, silage, and hay due to its high dry matter and nitrogen accumulation. It is neglected crop due to toxicity to non-ruminant animals including humans. It causes a disease called favisim due to the presence of an oxidants like convicine, isouramil, divicine and vicine which results in lowering of glutathione levels in G6PD-deficient persons. Immature cotyledon seeds were cultured on MS medium containing 0.05-0.80 mg/l TDZ-0.10 mg/l IBA. Callusing without shoot regeneration was observed only on higher concentarion of 0.80 mg/l TDZ-0.10 mg/l IBA in the culture medium. Shoot regeneration frequency and shoots per explants ranged 25.0-58.33% and 8.33-19.33 respectively. Maximum Shoot regeneration frequency (58.33%) and shoots per explants (19.33) were recorded on MS medium supplemented with 0.20 mg/l TDZ-0.10 mg/l IBA. Equal concentration of TDZ-IBA induced maximum shoot length and was recorded 5.0 cm. Most of the palnts rooted directly in the culture medium and remaining were cultured on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l IBA. Both types of plantlets were acclimatized under ambient conditions