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Purpose: The benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in environmental resource management has been a topic of hot discussion for the policymakers across the world. For the purpose, the government of Pakistan took initiative in 2018 to use technology for the country’s social welfare, financial benefits and to enhance environmental sustainability and named it as “Digital Pakistan Initiative”. Design/Methodology/Approach: For analysis, this study took CO2 emissions as the dependent variable and ICT, FDI inflows, and Trade Openness as independent variables. Data were collected on bimonthly basis from 2004 through 2019, and analyzed employing ARDL approach. Main purpose of the study was to examine the short-run and long-run relationship among carbon emissions and ICT, FDI Inflows and Trade Openness. Findings: The findings show that there exists a short-run relationship among all the variables; however, FDI inflows and trade openness have a significant relationship with CO2 emissions. The results also exhibit that there is no long-run relationship between CO2 emissions, FDI inflows, and Trade openness while ICT has an insignificant long-run relationship with CO2 emissions. With the increase of information and communication, the country’s environmental sustainability is also increased. Implications/Originality/Value: The current study was based on least considered variables and the pioneer in testing the complex relationship through VAR estimation.

Purpose: Corporate governance and management of working capital are seen as two main fields of corporate finance. The purpose of the research study is to examine the interrelationships between corporate governance, working capital management and performance of the firm. Design/Methodology/Approach: Sample consists of 140 non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange from 2008 to 2015. Data has been analyzed by using structural equation model. Mediating effects of managing working capital have been tested by using the approach suggested by Preacher and Hayes (2008). Findings: The findings revealed that current ratio partially mediates the effect of size of the board and CEO role duality whereas fully mediates the Impact of a concentration of ownership on firm results. The other variable of working capital management i.e. cash conversion cycle has not shown any mediating effect in Corporate governance and the relationship between firm results. For the other relationship the study found that board size affects firm performance positively whereas CEO duality and audit committee independence have negative impact on profitability of firms. For the relationship of working capital management on firm Performance, the study identified substantial negative and positive impacts on firm performance of the cash conversion period and current ratio, respectively. Implications/Originality/Value: The current study was based on least considered variables and the pioneer in testing the complex relationship through SEM-AMOS.

Pakistan’s stock market has experienced severe downside volatility after its classification in MSCI’s emerging market index in 2016. Global pandemic, political instability and capital limitations through money laundering control mechanisms have exposed the foundations of capital allocation to an escalating risk of default. The situation prerequisites a review of contentious relationship between drivers of economic growth and stock market expansion. This paper seeks to examine the relationship between non-financial and banal drivers of economic growth and their relative impact on stock market development in Pakistan, building on the fact that financial market development is a direct outcome of economic growth and development of the generic capabilities of production and capital formation through profit trails. GMM approach is used to analyze the contribution of capital formation and allocation through generic productivity and risk allocation mechanism. The paper discusses GDP growth, Gross fixed capital formation, Private credit and use of IMF credit as instrumental in determining stock market expansion. Originality of the research transpires from the fact that key outputs of real sector have been added to analyze the development of financial market which have long been ignored as extraneous for empirical analysis.

Purpose__ The research provides an insight in to the most popular debate around the globe about tax compliance. The research focusses on SMEs in premises of Bahawalpur division, Pakistan, by proposing a reliable solution for interstitial gaps existing between tax authorities and compliance behavior of taxpayers. It expands the Fisher model of compliance (1992) and deploys it as a base by adding new variables namely Power of authority, Tax audit and Electronic filing. The data has been statistically analyzed by using SPSS through running test of correlation and regression. Positive correlation and causation were established among variable leads to analysis of data through Ordinary Least Square (OLS), which ratify the role of attitude and perception as moderator in overall relationship. Results show that Power of authority directly influence compliance behavior while other two variables indirectly effects the relationship through moderator, thus nurturing the voluntary behavior of taxpayer. Design/Methodology/Approach___ A research framework has been developed for identifying the effect of different factors which may in boosting up compliance behavior of taxpayers. Quantitative approach was used and data has been collected through Questionnaire from almost 50 SMEs of Bahawalpur Division. Implications___ Policy makers may use the findings of the study to encourage voluntary compliance from the non-tax paying SME. Further study can be expanded by increasing sample size and by gathering detailed information for tax authorities. Originality/Value___ The proposed Model and findings may contribute in paving path for increasing voluntary compliance. Research also emphasize on other factors which should be focused for improvement and could play a crucial role in compliance.

This paper builds on Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and its ability to validate market and firm specific risk. The effort is aimed at ascertaining the role of bankruptcy risk in determining the cost of capital in firms and its impact on corporate valuation. We also attempt to replace and analyze disparity of systematic and unsystematic components of risk with bankruptcy and risk of future liquidity. A similar study has recently been carried out in Indian market by Shirur (2013) for checking the validity of beta and cumulative risk measurement for identifying the presence of bankruptcy risk. This research may be the first attempt at analyzing such semantics with data from Pakistan. Therefore, the current study attempts to investigate the role of bankruptcy risk in determining the cost of capital in corporate valuation and the need of segregating systematic risk and unsystematic risk into liquidity risk and bankruptcy risk. The findings of this study suggest that unsystematic risk shall be eluded while investing in a well-diversified portfolio, but after investing in a specific firm, the unsystematic risk needs to be incorporated in total corporate valuation.

This paper aims to examine stock market with a capacity building perspective for economic growth, focusing on the factors that enhance stock market capitalization in the long term. This study evaluates cross country series data of 26 emerging countries listed at MSCI index, through a period of 2006 to 2019. The data were collected through World Bank, Pakistan Stock Exchange and SECP database. Vector Error correction model and Multiple Regression analysis were applied on data to analyze the impact of assorted factors on stock market capitalization to GDP as a measure of long term capacity. The findings suggest that political stability and corporate tax rate are two important factors that may have significant impact on stock market capitalization to GDP. This research is different from all past researches with respect to methodological, aeon and acclimatization perspective. Capacity building is a relatively new phenomenon adopted from complex adaptive ecosystems and most studies in this area are of theoretical nature. Moreover, the fact that this research has considered not only the long term but also short-term market capitalization perspective, adds to its overall value and originality.

This paper aims to examine the differences in financial resilience of Islamic and Conventional Commercial banks with respect to the short term and long-term perspectives to pliability. The selected banks are compared on their resilience quotient exhibited by Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) and Z-Scores. This study evaluates cross country panel data of 157 listed and non-listed licensed Islamic banks located in 22 countries and same number of their conventional commercial counterparts, through a period of 1998 to 2018. The data were collected through BANKSCOPE database and World Bank publications. Ratio analysis and Multiple Regression analysis were applied on data to analyze the extent of resilience of both Islamic and Conventional banks.The findings suggest that there are considerable differences in short term and long term resilience quotient of Islamic and Conventional commercial banks. Where Islamic banks have relatively enervated position than Commercial banks on liquidity frontier, they hold a more resilient position with respect to z-score. ROE and Capital adequacy are two important factors that have a significant impact on bank resilience.This research is different from all past researches with respect to methodological, aeon and acclimatization perspective. Resilience is a relatively new phenomenon adopted from complex adaptive ecosystems and most studies in this area are of theoretical nature. Moreover, the fact that this research has considered not only the long term but also short-term resilience perspective, adds to its overall value and originality.