This is apropos a Business Recorder op-ed "Data mining" carried by Business Recorder on Monday. The writer, Anjum Ibrahim, has brought under spotlight a highly important subject. The question raised in the beginning of her argument needs to be answered by Asad Umar himself. She has asked: "So what happens to data mining when a non-economist finance minister, Asad Umar, is replaced with an economist, Hafeez Sheikh? And more to the point what happens if the mined data is used to formulate a budget under the guidance and watchful eyes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a 6 billion dollar Extended Fund Facility?"

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019

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