Impact of Terrorism on Financial Markets of Pakistan (2006-2008)

The study is an effort to estimate the impact of terrorist activities on the financial markets in Pakistan over the period of two years i.e. 2006 to 2008. It also finds out the extent and direction of relationship between the terrorist activities and three financial markets of Pakistan, which are the Karachi Stock Exchange, the FOREX market and the Interbank market. After collection of the primary data for the terrorist activities on daily basis and the secondary data on the indicators of the three markets, by using the OLS model it attempts to quantify the impacts of various types of terrorists’ activities on financial markets. We have found during our analysis that the terrorist activities adversely affect the financial markets under study but the significance varies for different markets. Along with terrorist activities many other stochastic activities are responsible for the adverse performance of financial markets which have not been taken into account. The study recommends the policy stance on institutional development regarding investment in the innovative security industry and providing rosier environment for investors by altering the money supply and interest rates

Impact of Terrorism on Financial Markets of Pakistan (2006-2008)

The study is an effort to estimate the impact of terrorist activities on the financial markets in Pakistan over the period of two years i.e. 2006 to 2008. It also finds out the extent and direction of relationship between the terrorist activities and three financial markets of Pakistan, which are the Karachi Stock Exchange, the FOREX market and the Interbank market. After collection of the primary data for the terrorist activities on daily basis and the secondary data on the indicators of the three markets, by using the OLS model it attempts to quantify the impacts of various types of terrorists’ activities on financial markets. We have found during our analysis that the terrorist activities adversely affect the financial markets under study but the significance varies for different markets. Along with terrorist activities many other stochastic activities are responsible for the adverse performance of financial markets which have not been taken into account. The study recommends the policy stance on institutional development regarding investment in the innovative security industry and providing rosier environment for investors by altering the money supply and interest rates

Brief culturally adapted CBT for psychosis (CaCBTp): A randomized controlled trial from a low income country

Evidence for the effectiveness of Culturally adapted CBT for psychosis in Low And Middle Income Countries (LAMIC) is limited. Therefore, brief Culturally adapted CBT for psychosis (CaCBTp) targeted at symptoms of schizophrenia for outpatients plus treatment as usual (TAU) is compared with TAU. A total of 116 participants with schizophrenia were recruited from 2 hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan, and randomized into two groups with 1:1 allocation (CaCBTp plus TAU = 59, TAU = 57). A brief version of CaCBTp (6 individual sessions with the involvement of main carer, plus one session for the family) was provided over 4 months. Psychopathology was measured using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale of Schizophrenia (PANSS), Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS), and the Schedule for Assessment of Insight (SAI) at baseline and end of therapy. Participants in treatment group, showed statistically significant improvement in all measures of psychopathology at the end of the study compared with control group. Participants in treatment group showed statistically significant improvement in Positive Symptoms (PANSS, Positive Symptoms Subscale; p = 0.000), Negative Symptoms (PANSS, Negative Symptoms subscales; p = 0.000), Delusions (PSYRATS, Delusions Subscale; p = 0.000), Hallucinations (PSYRATS, Hallucination Subscale; p = 0.000) and Insight (SAI; p = 0.007). The results suggest that brief, Culturally adapted CBT for psychosis can be an effective treatment when provided in combination with TAU, for patients with schizophrenia in a LAMIC setting. This is the first trial of CBT for psychosis from outside the western world. These findings need replicating in other low and middle income countries