This paper analyses the characteristics of housing demand in the formal and informal housing markets of a large metropolitan city (Karachi) in a developing country (Pakistan) with low per capita incomes. While results of earlier research are confirmed in the case of the formal housing market, the explanatory power of the conventional housing demand specification is very limited in the informal sector. This is attributed to the impact of outward remittances by migrants, imperfections in the housing credit market, the low level of provision of public goods and differences in housing preferences.

The Provincial Finance Commissions were constituted in all four provinces of Pakistan in 2001. The Commissions were asked to formulate a formula for the distribution of resources among the districts in their respective province to ensure smooth functioning of the local governments and to minimize the poverty and income inequalities among the districts. This paper analyze to what extent the existing development transfers are based on the existing level of deprivation in the districts by looking at the Rank Correlation between them. This paper also runs different simulations to suggest different options for the provincial governments to improve the distribution formulas.

This paper analyses the determinants of household formation in a large metropolitan city (Karachi) in a low-income, developing country (Pakistan) by comparing the sample characteristics of nuclear households with those of 'nuclei' within joint households . Contrary to expectations, the results indicate the lack of influence of income and education . The primary impetus to the creation of new households is provided by new migrants, by working women and by the number of dependants .

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The purpose of this paper is to see whether any link can be found between the inter-governmental fiscal transfers and the deprivation index in the districts of Pakistan. The data for the study was collected from 98 districts of four provinces of Pakistan for the year 2003 and 2007. The results of the study shows the transfers have reduced deprivation across the board but unable to solve disparity issue. In fact the results show the extreme inequality (ratio of maximum to minimum) has increased over time but average disparity (coefficient of variation) gives mixed results. Keywords: Fiscal Federalism, Horizontal Inequity, Vertical Inequity, Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer.