Abstract:The present study investigates the determinants of life expectancy in the presence of economic misery using Pakistan's time series data over the period of 1972-2012. The stationary properties of the variables are examined by applying unit root test accommodating structural breaks. The ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration is applied to examine the long run relationship between the variables. Our findings show that cointegration between the variables is confirmed. Moreover, health spending improves life expectancy. Food supply contributes to life expectancy. A rise in economic misery deteriorates life expectancy. Urbanization enhances life expectancy while illiteracy declines it. The causality analysis reveals that life expectancy is Granger cause of health spending, food supply, economic misery, urbanization and illiteracy. This paper opens up new insights for policy making authorities to consider the role of economic misery while formulating comprehensive economic policy to improve life expectancy in Pakistan.

Economic literature shows significant attention towards the role played by female labour force in the economic development of nations. The structural changes of economies from agriculture to industrial and services sector reduce the female labour force participation in case of developing nations. The activities of female labour force increases in the later stage of economic development due to increase in education and dynamics of economic activity. As the size of the economy expands females have easier and better access of jobs thus are encouraged to become economically active, it leads to increase female participation in the productive activities. The participation of female labour force is desirable for both equity and efficiency reasons. The equity aspect shows that the women’s participation in the labour market ultimately improves their relative economic position, increase the overall economic efficiency by enhancing the development potential of the country. Moreover, the increasing integration of women in the economy helps in reducing gender disparities in education, improving maternal health, increasing sectoral share of female employment in different sectors of the economy, demonstrating the hidden contribution of women as unpaid family worker especially in agriculture sector. According to the modernisation theorists, economic development is positively associated with female labour force participation through change in the occupational structure and increase in educational opportunities along with the household responsibilities. The modernisation process is linked with increased demand for labour, a general social acceptance of women’s education and employment as well as lower fertility [Heckman (1980); Standing (1981); Bauer and Shin (1987)]. A body of theoretical and empirical literature provides evidence that female labour force participation has a positive and strong relationship with economic growth [Tansel (2002) and Fatima and Sultana (2009)].

This paper visits the impact of economic misery on human capital outflow using time series data over the period of . We have applied the combined cointegration tests and innovative accounting approach to examine long run and causal relationship between the variables. Our results affirm the presence of cointegration between the variables. We find that economic misery increases human capital outflow. Foreign remittances add in human capital outflow from Pakistan. The migration from Pakistan to rest of world is boosted by depreciation in local currency. Income inequality is also a major contributor to human capital outflow. The present study is comprehensive effort and may provide new insights to policy makers for handling the issue of human capital outflow by controlling economic misery in Pakistan.

This study examines the impact of female wages, unemployment, foreign remittances and globalization on female labour supply over the period from 1980 to 2010. We have applied the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) bounds testing to test whether cointegration exists between variables. Our results show that variables are integrated for a long-run relationship. Moreover, female wages attract female labour supply. Foreign remittances and globalization raise female labour supply, whereas unemployment lowers it. The relation between female wages and female labour supply is U-shaped. The causality analysis reveals that female wages, foreign remittances, globalization and unemployment Granger affect female labour supply.

In the contemporary era, the sector of SMEs has been considered essential for achieving macroeconomic objectives such as employment creation, poverty reduction and economic growth. Hence, SMEs have an ample and untapped potential to contribute in economic growth though enhancing entrepreneurial skills and indigenous technology. The contribution of SMEs sector to economic growth is thus a principle component in raising the internal efficiency of the resources. This study endeavors to find out the potential role of SME's output in GDP growth for Pakistan considering some macroeconomic variables. While using data from 1980 to 2017, ARDL bound testing approach has been used to incorporate the dynamic perspective in the study. In model estimation, the GDP growth rate has been taken as a dependent variable, whereas, output of small sale industry, unemployment rate, government expenditure, interest rate, domestic investment, foreign direct investment and finance provided by banks to private sector have been included as independent variables. The estimation findings of dynamic model confirmed the direct and significant association between output of SMEs and GDP growth in Pakistan. However; the sector still requires a policy design to overcome the problems of the sector in war-footing grounds. These policies require a pro-active strategy that can cater more growth of the economy through progress of SMEs. In this regard, the strengthening and elevation of potential output of SMEs, made in Pakistan, tentative policy plan for Industry 4.0; and the distribution of SMEs in remote areas are the relevant recommended policy initiatives.Contribution/ Originality: This study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the role of SMEs output in growth of GDP of Pakistan using the ADRL Bound Testing approach.

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In the contemporary era, women's empowerment promises enormous gains ensuring a vigorous socio-economic boost for the economy. Further, the persistently changing world demands equity for both men and women as restrictions to women’s rights and opportunities cost an economy in terms of income losses. Hence, overcoming gender discrimination and inequality remains a challenge for developing economies. The idea of “missing women” is linked to the appalling absence of women in substantial parts of an economy. The prime objective of the study is to evaluate the myth of missing women for the economy of Pakistan. The study investigates whether the missing women problem exists in the economy or not. For this purpose, a multidimensional approach would be utilized to figure out various gender inequalities considered in the missing women paradigm. Given the available data and statistics opacity, the study would employ both time series (tentatively for the era of 1990-2020) and cross-sectional data of the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) survey of 2019-20. The former would be collected from the websites of World Bank indicators while the latter would be gathered from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Using a mixed approach, the study qualitatively investigates the aggregate indicators associated with the concept of missing women including the sex ratio, fertility rate, and population dividend of Pakistan with a comprehensive regional comparison. Whereas a quantitative analysis would be performed to examine different gender inequalities through the novel context of missing women. The authorities of Pakistan have made strides in reducing the gender gap through better educational enrolment rates and access to health care services. However, these improvements have not been well transmuted into an enhancement of equity and quality of women’s life. There is a dire need to broaden the horizon of gender equality and hence this study views gender inequality with the dimension of “missing women”.

The nexus between investment and interest rate is always considered essential to analyze the economic activity as these variables are important economic indicators in defining macroeconomic activity. However, the unchanged condition of investment in Pakistan has raised the cost of investment and crates uncertainty in investors. The paper investigates the link between rate of interest and investment to incorporate a new dimension of call money rate that may enhance the investment opportunities in Pakistan, employing time series analysis for the time span of 1973 - 2015. The ARDL Bound Testing Approach and ECM are employed to capture both the long and short-run dynamics of the variables in the model. The results of the study indicate that the call money rate has significant effect on investment and thus on economic growth. Therefore, the preparation and implementation of financial policies may increase the investmentfriendly rate of interest to stimulate economic growth in Pakistan.