Pakistan Social Sciences Review

An Empirical Analysis of Savings and Investment Determinants in Pakistan: A Simultaneous Equation Modeling Approach

Abdul Rauf Jakhro — 2025-04-07

This study investigates the determinants of savings and investment in Pakistan from 1999 to 2023 using a simultaneous equation modeling approach. Using Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS), the analysis identifies significant factors influencing both savings and investment. For investment, foreign direct investment (FDI) emerges as the most significant determinant, exhibiting a strong positive effect, followed by GDP growth, which fosters a conducive environment for capital formation. In contrast, interest costs of borrowing are a negative driver for investment; hence borrowing cost needs to be regulated. Public debt has an almost insignificant positive effect and savings have a nil direct impact on investment. Remittances have a strong influence on the saving level as savings have a strongly positive impact; however investment and inflation negatively impact GDP growth has an insignificant relationship with savings. The models achieve quite strong explanatory power, with the R-squared values obtained for investment being 58.8% and 75.97% for savings, and pass key diagnostic tests for homoscedasticity and absence of serial correlation. Findings underscore the critical role of FDI in inducing investment and remittances in saving. Policymakers are advised to focus more on attracting FDI; maintaining economic growth; and mitigating the inflationary pressures to bolster Pakistan's savings and investment landscape.

Analysing the Effect of Green Intellectual Capital On Environmental Growth: The Mediating Role of Green Training and Improvement

Syeda Nazneen Waseem — 2025-04-08

This study examines the effect of GIC on environmental growth, with a particular focus on the mediating role of green training and improvement. By integrating intellectual capital theory and environmental management practices, the research explores how organizations leverage green knowledge, skills, and innovation to enhance sustainable development. Data was collected from 150 HR professionals, and Smart PLS software was used for data analysis. The findings confirm 12 key hypotheses, highlighting the positive impact of GIC on environmental growth through green training initiatives. The results further indicate that fostering green knowledge and skills significantly enhances an organization's environmental performance. This study underscores the importance of structured green training programs in bridging the gap between intellectual capital and sustainability. It's recommended that companies adopt a holistic and integrated approach to sustainability using simultaneously investing in green intellectual capital (GIC) and robust green training and development (GTD) packages.

Impact of Ambidextrous Leadership Style on Project Success: understanding the role of Innovative Work Behaviour and Workforce Agility in the Software Industry

Adnan Ahmed Khan — 2025-04-11

The purpose of our research is to examine the impact of ambidextrous leadership on project success through the mediating role of innovative work behaviour and workforce agility. During the last three decade, the significance of technology oriented projects has increased, particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, research on the antecedents of software projects has emerged as an interesting area for scholars. Data were collected from 324 software industry professionals in Pakistan using a purposive sampling technique to accomplish this purpose. The obtained data were analysed through SPSS. The findings show that ambidextrous leadership is positively associated with project success, while innovative work behaviour and workforce agility fully mediate this association. This research examined a new model to examine the effect of ambidextrous leadership on project success. Our research adds to the prevailing project management literature by empirically examining the intervening constructs (innovative work behaviour and workforce agility) between ambidextrous leadership and project success in the software industry. This research also provided an important recommendation at the end of the study.

Translation and Validation of Parent as Social Context Questionnaire

Syeda Asma Gillani — 2025-04-14

The primary aim of this study was to assess the validity of the Urdu-translated version of the Parents as Social Context Questionnaire (PASCQ) for both mothers and fathers forms in a Pakistani adolescent population. The scale measures six dimensions of parenting, which are classified into supportive dimensions (i.e., affection, consistency, and encouragement of independence) and unsupportive dimensions (i.e., disapproval, disorganization, and pressure). The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted using AMOS-21 with respect to the factorial validity and model fit. It was found that the fit indices for the original models were inadequate, however, after removing the poor loading items and adding logically possible error covariances, the model fit significantly improved. Overall, the final models produced acceptable fit indices (CFI and IFI > .90, RMSEA < .08) and retained the multidimensional structure of the scale. These findings offer robust psychometric support for the application of the PASCQ in the context of Pakistani adolescents. The validated adaptation of the questionnaire is a welcome addition to the field with implications for future research involving parent–adolescent relationships and implementing interventions sensitive to the context of the family. Limitations include adolescent-specific population. The future recommendations incorporates obtaining sample from various demographics and investigating the stability of the construct over time.

A Linguistic Analysis of Code-Switching in Pakistani Billboard Advertisements

Hana Habib — 2025-04-15

The aim of this study is to analyze the sociolinguistic concept of code-switching in Pakistani billboard advertisements. The textual messages in billboard ads are usually drafted very carefully but sometimes there are messages which are used without considering the nature of the ad. The focus of the study is to identify the dominant language in billboards and the linguistic categories which are most commonly employed for code-switching. Forty-one billboards are examined out of which 20 are identified for code-switching and are further scrutinized for linguistic analysis. The qualitative method is used, and a descriptive approach is adopted for the textual analysis of billboard advertisements. The findings of the study indicate the dominance and prevalence of the English language over the Urdu language in billboard advertisements. In almost half of the billboards, advertisers used code-switching, and the English language is embedded in the Urdu language to make slogans interesting and appealing. Researchers are recommended to analyze the impact of such code switching advertising media on youth and on their daily linguistic practices.

Impact of Loneliness on Nomophobia among University Students: Mediating Role of Online Social Interaction and Moderating Role of Social Support

Marwa Khan — 2025-04-17

This study explored the relationship between loneliness and nomophobia among university students, investigating the mediating role of online social interaction (OSI) and the moderating role of social support. A sample of 300 participants was surveyed, and the results indicated a significant positive correlation between loneliness and nomophobia (r = .65, p < .001), suggesting that greater loneliness leads to higher levels of nomophobia. OSI was found to mediate this relationship (B = .29, p < .001), while social support moderated it (B = .18, p < .05), buffering the negative impact of loneliness on nomophobia. These findings emphasize that loneliness can intensify nomophobia through increased online social interaction, and that social support plays a key role in mitigating this effect. Based on these results, the recommendations included that interventions aimed at reducing nomophobia should focus on alleviating loneliness and enhancing social support networks among university students.

Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions: A Potential Threat to Israel

Umar Farooq — 2025-04-17

This article examines non-conventional threats to Israel’s security. The objective of this paper is to analyze how Iranian nuclear ambitions are threat to Israel’s sovereignty. In the 1950s, US provided nuclear reactor to Iran under the “Atoms for peace program” initiative. The nuclear ambition of Iran rises security concerns for Israel as the Iran has not good relations with Israel in the past. The Islamic Republic has ideological perspective related to Israel regardless of its political affiliation, Iranian leadership views Israel as a cornerstone of American hegemony. Although, Iran is not known as to possesses nuclear weapons but it the capability and ability to build nuclear weapons. For Israelis it would decrease their regional influence and limit Israel not to direct attack on Iranian proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis in the region. This research is based on qualitative data extracted from books, journal articles, websites and state officials’ opinions. Consequently, hostility between two middle eastern countries have considerably increased as the result of Iranian nuclear ambitions and perhaps the development of nuclear program. Particularly, Iran's pursuit of a nuclear program and possibly the development of nuclear weapons has raised tensions between the two nations. Deterrence combined with the preparedness and conventional military methods of the Israel Defense Forces. A direct bilateral resolution is improbable given the current tensions and mistrust between Israel and Iran. A multilateral strategy combining global stakeholders (such as the U.S., EU, Russia, and China) and regional powers (such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt) may instead offer an impartial forum to start a dialogue. The objective would be the establishment of a Middle East Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (MENWFZ), a concept that has been put out in international forum but has never been implemented.

Critique of Class Distinction and Resistance: A Study of Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace

Ayaz Muhammad Shah — 2025-04-18

The study aims to investigate class distinction in Maupassant’s The Necklace from the perspective of Marxism. Marx and Engels highlight that in capitalism, due to minimum state’s interference in the economic affairs, wealth concentrates in the few hands, resulting the sharp division of society into two classes: the rich and the poor. The former exploits the resources of the latter. All means of production and subsistence are in the hands of the few and majority just depends on them. This extreme disparity results in class conflicts. The Necklace also reveals the unequal distribution of wealth, and disparity between the two classes. It reflects class distinctions and resists the ideology of dominant class. The research uses qualitative research and textual analysis to highlight the aspects of class differences and resistance in the story. The topic under study has been broached for the first time, thus recommending a new vista for further research.

Romanticizing the Primitive Cultures and Anti-colonial Vision in D. H. Lawrence’s Post-war Fiction

Abdul Shakoor — 2025-04-18

This paper aims to explore Lawrence’s preference for primitive cultures and his anti-colonial vision in his post-war fiction. His pre-war novels express his love for England. However, the onset of the First World War resulted in his disillusionment for European culture. In revulsion, he sought withdrawal from Europe and started idealizing the primitive modes of life. Thus, celebration of primitive societies is evident in his post-war novels. This discontent with deteriorating European civilization and glorification of foreign primitive cultures also led him to a decolonizing vision. Consequently, his post-War fiction presents a critique of colonialism and imperialism. This study has employed qualitative method, and textual analysis technique in order to trace celebration of Primitive Cultures and anti-colonial vision in Lawrence’s Post-war Fiction. Postcolonial theory has provided the basic framework for this study. They analysis proves that in Lawrence’s later novels his predilection for primitive societies is accompanied by his anti-colonial vision. Future researchers can attempt an in-depth analysis of Lawrence’s post-colonial and anarchist vision.

Environmental Justice Interventions and Poverty Alleviation in Climate-Vulnerable Regions: Evidence from South Asia

Saqib Munir — 2025-04-22

This study explores how environmental justice interventions impact rural poverty reduction in seven South Asian countries from 1999 to 2023, focusing on gender and pro-poor linkages. Rural poverty in South Asia is exacerbated by structural inequalities, climate change, and limited access to resources. Environmental justice, including clean energy, sustainable water management, and agricultural innovations, is a critical pathway to poverty alleviation, yet its mechanisms remain understudied. Using panel data from World Governance Indicators (WGI) and World Development Indicators (WDI), the study employed advanced econometric techniques such as fixed effects and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) models to analyze causal relationships among key variables. Access to electricity emerged as the most significant driver of poverty reduction. GDP per capita strongly correlated with poverty alleviation, while climate impacts on agriculture and healthcare expenditure showed nuanced, context-dependent effects. Policymakers should integrate equitable resource distribution, sustainable development, and climate resilience into coordinated frameworks aligned with global sustainability goals. Micro-level and longitudinal studies are suggested for future research.

A Critical Review of Educational Research Methodologies: Approaches, Applications, and Implications

Shazia Hamid — 2025-04-22

This paper presents a comprehensive critique of educational research methodologies and methods, highlighting their philosophical foundations, practical applications, strengths, and limitations. It systematically examines the three major research paradigms—qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods used in context of education. The paper explores the interpretive and critical approaches in qualitative research, experimental and observational techniques in quantitative studies, and various mixed methods designs such as concurrent triangulation and sequential approaches. Through critical evaluation, the study emphasizes the importance of aligning research questions with appropriate methodologies and discusses the ethical and epistemological considerations vital to educational research. The discussion also highlights the necessity of methodological literacy and ethical rigor for researchers, advocating for deliberate, well-informed design choices that enhance the credibility and applicability of educational research. Ultimately, the paper offers a balanced perspective on methodological pluralism and encourages thoughtful integration of diverse methods to address complex educational questions.

The Global Rivalry in Syria and the Security Dilemma in the Middle East

Sheikh Arslan Zafar — 2025-04-22

This research examines the impact of significant global actors on the conflict's progress, emphasizing the roles of pivotal countries like Iran, Turkey, the United States, and Russia, including regional non-state actors in shaping Syria's path to instability, through research analysis of the complex elements and history of international competition in the Levant, highlighting how outside engagement has progressively transformed and extended Syria via an assessment of projection and diplomatic efforts. Due to its strategic position, rich resources, and cultural importance, Syria has drawn foreign involvement for centuries. It also evaluates the continuous influence of foreign powers on Syria’s political situation. Simultaneously, China's economic efforts pose difficulties for U.S. interests. Using a qualitative method, the study explores the reasons, tactics, and results of foreign involvement in Syria from the perspective of offensive realism. The results demonstrate how these interventions have altered regional power dynamics and intensified the ongoing crisis, particularly following the downfall of Assad’s regime. The research concludes by examining the effects of global rivalry on the region, as well as potential routes to lasting peace in Syria and why the arena will remain open for the influential players.

Parenting Dynamics and Adolescent Outcomes: Investigating the Role of Demographic Differences

Syeda Asma Gillani — 2025-04-24

The present study was intended to investigate demographic differences in parenting contexts as well as basic psychological needs and behavioral outcomes for adolescents. The research was based on the assumption propounded by Self-determining Theory. That is, gender, family system, mother's occupation and monthly income relate to the perception of adolescents about parenting, the need satisfaction of adolescents and the behavioral indicators. A total of 300 adolescents, aged between 13 and 17 years, were selected as sample units through stratified sampling technique. Data were taken from Parents as Social Context Questionnaire, Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Data were analyzed within the framework of cross-sectional, comparative research design. The findings showed that differences in mean across demographic groups were significantly different such that nuclear family adolescents were more positively influenced by parental involvement as compared to adolescents from one-parent families, as well as adolescents from high-income households, and mothers are working showed higher psychological need satisfaction and lesser behavioral difficulties. Recommendations incorporate that interventions are culturally specific parenting interventions and policies promoting economic stability and awareness among parents. Longitudinal studies should also look at the future basis of causality direction for interpretation enhancement.

Impact of Perceived Social Support and Psychological Resilience on Psychological Well-being among university students

Sadaf Asghar — 2025-04-24

The current study was directed towards the investigation about how perceived social support affects along with cognitive resilience on psychological well-being among the university students. For the purpose of data collection, a sample of university students was used for a quantitative correlational research design with standardized scales, namely the MSPSS, BRS, and Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale. The collected data showed the presence of significant positive correlations among variables. Moreover, regression analysis revealed that both perceived social support and psychological resilience could serve as significant predictors for psychological well-being. Thus, th3 recommendations incorporates reaffirming the role of both internal coping capacity and external relational resources in improving student mental and emotional well-being contexts.

Pragmatics and Artificial Intelligence Conversational Systems: Enhancing Semantic Understanding in Pakistani Language Documentation

Tanzila Abbas — 2025-04-27

The present study aims to analyze that how pragmatics and artificial intelligence conversational systems is enhancing semantic understanding in Pakistani language documentation. The study utilizes content analysis approach and the population of the study was the Pakistani newspapers. A sample of thirty newspapers was selected to find that how pragmatics and artificial intelligence conversational systems is enhancing semantic understanding in Pakistani language documentation. The collected data was analyzed by using content analysis approach and later the analyzed data was presented in the tables. The findings of the research divulged some examples that are increasing semantic understanding in Urdu and Punjabi language documentation semantically with Artificial Intelligence (AI). In the end on the base of these findings the researchers presented some recommendations for the future scholars and researchers.

Push and Pull Factors Driving International Migration: Insights from Pakistan

Noor Ul Ain — 2025-04-27

This paper makes an effort to review Pakistani International Marxism from both a positive and a bad perspective. Economic challenges, a lack of employment possibilities, and inadequate governance are the primary reasons why people leave Pakistan; on the other hand, the three main ones that pull them to remain are the possibility of better employment elsewhere, stable governance, along with elevated standards of living. Using additional information from the authority’s publications, scholarly research, and internet sources, the analysis completes a previously undocumented economic aspect of migration. It highlights the dual character of movement: on the one hand, money from overseas are essential to Pakistan's financial system, but there are also significant issues with brain drain and employment incompatibilities. In order to give students a better knowledge of the dynamics of the migration of people, the study used qualitative approaches to identify some patterns and characteristics of the migration process. The report ends with actionable suggestions intended to reduce the strain on compelled migration, instill fresh optimism in the domestic setting, and engage foreigners in Pakistan's projects for development. Policymakers can create tactics that will transform migration from an indicator of a systemic breakdown to a tool of economic sustainability by understanding the true causes of displacement. In an effort to add to the growing corpus of research on Pakistani migration patterns, this report provides a broad assessment for the future administration of its difficulties as well as possibilities.

The Law and Corporate Environmental Responsibility: An Analysis of Pakistani Listed Oil Refineries

Ahtesham ul Haq Dhariwal — 2025-04-28

This study investigates the extent, reasons for, and consequences of environmental laws, rules, and regulations on corporate environmental abuses. The study limits its scope to the oil refineries listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. In light of state regulations and accountability through litigation, the effectiveness of the law on corporate environmental responsibility is explored. Environment means Air, water, land, buildings, structures, roads, all social and economic conditions affecting community life etc. Its importance was recognized post industrialization, when the world became a global village. Where the globalization leads to the development, it also badly damages the environment. And now environmental protection has become a sensitive global issue. There are number of endogenous and exogenous factors that effects the environment Apart from these only the state regulations and the rule of law is considered in this study. To explain the relationship and significance of the law on corporate environmental responsibility, a regression analysis based on panel data is applied. The explanatory variables include the rule of law, state regulations, and corporate accountability through litigation. The results depict a contrary relationship. The rule of law is positively associated, whereas state regulations and accountability through litigation have an inverse relationship with corporate environmental responsibility. Litigation is found to be insignificant and shows a 53% deviation from the mean value. This indicates that the judicial system of Pakistan is not very effective; however, improvements in the rule of law can encourage oil companies to ensure their environmental responsibilities. There is a need of one law that deals with all the constituents of environment. The implementation of environmental regulations must be ensured by the state or government agencies, and the law should prevail and rules shall be applied irrelevant to the status and position of the wrongdoer.

E-HRM Practices and Employee Outcomes: Mediating Role Of Employer Branding

Syed Adnan Ali — 2025-05-09

The motive of this research is to investigate statistically the mediating role of employer branding between e-HRM practices and employees’ behavior, e.g., affective commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, and turnover intention. The statistical data for this research study were collected from the three larger banks in Pakistan. These three banks were selected based on profitability. The data was examined through different statistical techniques such as cross tabulation, descriptive statistics, correlations, and hierarchical linear modeling for data analysis and hypothesis testing. The results found full support for mediation. E-HRM practices are positively connected with employer branding, and employer branding is found as positively related with OCB, affective commitment, and negatively related with turnover intention. Resultantly, the result of the hierarchical linear modeling supports the hypothesis with significant signs of a mediating relationship. The results reveal that employees’ perception of employer branding at the workplace is highly dependent on the way he is being treated by their immediate supervisor, and this perception leads them to show various positive behaviors at the job. This research also provides important recommendations at the end of this study.

Demographic Differences in Mental Health Literacy, Mental Health Status, Perceived Stress, Social Support, and Psychological Well-Being Among University Students in Pakistan

Zoonish Aziz — 2025-05-09

The present study investigated demographic differences in mental health literacy, perceived stress, anxiety and depression, social support, and psychological well-being among university students in Pakistan. A purposive sampling technique was utilized to collect a sample of 1,664 Pakistani university students from different provinces. Standardized scales used for the measurement of key variables were included as follows: Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale. Statistical analysis showed significant differences by gender, age groups, family systems, and provinces. It was observed that female students had higher stress and psychological distress levels compared to married students, who had a greater perception of social support and psychological well-being. Older students were better at mental health literacy; moreover, there were significant differences between provinces, with metropolis areas being more aware. Recommendations incorporated the need for targeted mental health awareness campaigns and support programs tailored to specific demographic groups within university populations.

Core Issues of the University of Balochistan: A Way Forward

Shah Meer — 2025-05-10

The University of Balochistan (UoB) is a foundational educational institution in Balochistan, offering a diverse range of academic disciplines. Despite its expansion to encompass multiple faculties, departments, and campuses, it grapples with a myriad of challenges. Misgovernance, financial crises, political interference, security concerns, and administrative inefficiencies have plagued the Institution, often resulting in disruptions to academic activities. This study aims to investigate the core issues of the UoB which hinder its smooth functioning, and provides doable policy solutions. This research, while employing a mixed-method approach combining literature review, structured questionnaire surveys, qualitative interviews, and thematic analysis, argues that there is a need of enhanced safety measures and infrastructural development in the institute, need of legislative changes in the Balochistan Universities Act of 2022, urgency of increased funding with transparent financial practices and requirement of administrative reforms to promote merit-based practices are highly significant to run the University at par with other national universities.

Mercenary Groups in Modern Warfare: The Wagner Group, Ethical and Legal Enigmas in Ukraine and Africa

Hussain Kaleem Khan — 2025-05-11

Mercenary organizations have become part and parcel of contemporary wars system. This paper elucidates the subject of the Wagner Group, being the Russian private military company which now plays an essential part in the armed conflict in Ukraine and Africa in the framework of hybrid warfare. The work also discusses how the Wagner Group works in the legal spectrum of admissibility, undermines state authority, and contributes to deterioration of the human rights situation. The coming article looks at its activities throughout the gross Ukraine’s conflict as well as during its operation in the resource-rich, violent African states in order to establish the geopolitical, legal, and ethical implications of privatized warfare. Therefore, the research recommends that there should be other International Legal Mechanisms that should be developed in order to regulate the PMCs and punt checks on their misconducts. Finally, this qualitative research illustrates the general consequences of such groups for international security, properly functioning political systems, and the system of international law in outlining suggestions of how to minimize the damaging impacts of such groups.

Assessing English Learners' Attitude towards the use of Synonyms in Communication: A Study Conducted at BS Level

Shumaila Akbar — 2025-05-12

This study aims to explore the attitudes of BS-level English language learners toward the use of synonyms in communication and identify the challenges they face, along with the factors that shape their perceptions and usage. Synonyms are integral to language proficiency, allowing for nuanced expression, clarity, and vocabulary expansion. However, many learners struggle to use synonyms accurately due to context-specific meanings and subtle connotational differences. Understanding students’ attitudes is essential for effective teaching strategies and improved communication skills. A mixed-methods research design was employed, involving both quantitative (structured surveys) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews and focus groups) data collection. Participants were purposively selected from BS-level English language programs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and thematic coding. Preliminary findings suggest that while learners recognize the importance of synonyms, many encounter difficulties in their practical application due to limited vocabulary, contextual confusion, and instructional gaps. Positive attitudes were associated with higher synonym usage and language confidence, influenced significantly by prior exposure and teaching methods. Incorporating context-based vocabulary tasks, corpus-driven tools, and inductive learning approaches can enhance learners’ synonym usage. Teachers should provide rich linguistic input and foster a supportive classroom environment to promote confident and accurate use of synonyms in both spoken and written discourse.

The Impact of Green Human Resources Management to Enhance Pro-Environmental Behaviour among Organizational Employees

Zahid Nawaz Khan — 2025-05-13

This study aims to measure the impact of green HRM on Employee pro-environmental behavior and the mediating role of employee green commitment. The data were collected from Pakistan's manufacturing industry through an online and self-administered questionnaire. Quantitative methods were used to collect data from respondents. Online and self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data conveniently. A total of 303 responses were used for final data analysis. Process-Hayes was to measure the mediation role of employees, green commitment between green HRM, and employee pro-environmental behavior. SPSS was utilized to analyze the hypothesized model and found full support for the hypotheses of current study. Study results show green HRM significantly influences the employee’s pro-environmental behavior. Further, employee green commitment significantly mediates the relationship between green HRM and employee pro-environmental behavior. This study adds value to literature of green HRM and employee pro-environmental behavior. Practically, this study highlights the importance of green HRM for companies and suggests that firms should employ green practices to motivate their employees pro-environmentally.