We leverage novel data extracted from weekly updated registers of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) centres to examine the impact of early access to land record information through digitization on dispute resolution outcomes in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Employing a quasi-experimental design, we estimate the causal effect of early access to Punjab Land Record Management Information System (PLRMIS) on the registration and resolution process of land-related disputes. Our results reveal that ADR centres in districts with early treatment experience an average increase of approximately 50 cases compared to those in districts with late treatment. By utilizing generalized multi-level mixed effect and two-stage least square models, we find that early implementation of PLRMIS significantly increases successful mediation outcomes by 126 cases in the treatment region with no effect on mediation failure cases. These findings provide compelling evidence for the pivotal role of PLRMIS in facilitating effective alternate dispute resolution, indicating increased public utilization of the system. Our results underscore the effectiveness of digitization and e-governance systems in improving land administration, reducing information asymmetry, and expediting the dispute resolution process.

This paper investigates the impact of terrorism on educational outcomes following the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The unexpected death of bin Laden, Al-Qaeda's founder and symbolic leader, triggered a significant escalation in retaliatory terrorist attacks. Terrorist groups perceived Pakistan as complicit in the U.S. operation, leading to increased attacks on government, military, and civilian targets, with assaults on educational institutions rising by 50 percent. This surge led to a significant decline in educational attainment, reducing average years of schooling by 0.52 years and lowering primary school completion rates by 5.9 percentage points, with a more pronounced impact on girls. Furthermore, academic performance declined, with math, English, and reading scores falling by approximately 0.1 standard deviations. These findings highlight that the elimination of a terrorist leader can incite retaliatory violence, significantly undermining the educational prospects of children, particularly girls.

This paper estimates the effect of exposure to terrorist attacks on election outcomes. Since terrorists may choose targets endogenously, I construct a set of novel instruments. To that end, I leverage exogenous variation of the timing and location of the death of Osama bin Laden and the Red Mosque siege. I find that attacks suppress voter turnout by 5 percent and 3 percent more than predicted by difference-in-differences-type estimators. This indicates that terrorists target areas experiencing positive shocks. Using a very unique set of datasets, evidence suggests religious extremism, media exposure, demand for Sharia law, fears, and migration as mechanisms, rather than degradation of electoral infrastructure.

This paper uses the 2005 Pakistan earthquake as a natural experiment and the role of migration to estimate its long-term effects on human development. Exposure to the earthquake was plausibly exogenous for individuals born after the disaster. I exploit variation across birth cohorts and districts affected by this event. I find that cohorts exposed to the earthquake represent higher rates of disabilities and lower educational attainment and labor market outcomes. I also find that migration before or immediately after the earthquake can mitigate its impact on disabilities. The effects are more pronounced for cognitive disabilities, girls, and individuals from low-education and low-income households. These findings highlights the importance of migration and investing in affected cohorts to improve long-term human capital

I use high-frequency, incident-level corruption data, combined with agricultural credit and land use datasets, to estimate the impact of land record digitization. Exploiting the phased implementation of digitization as a natural experiment and using deviations in its rollout as an instrumental variable, I find an increase in documentation of corruption complaints by 29.35 percent per million population while reducing enquiries and cases by 40.66 percent and 31.71 percent, respectively, indicating early resolution of disputes due to improved transparency. Civil case registrations at the Lahore High Court also increased, accompanied by higher mediation success rates. Additionally, access to agricultural credit improved significantly for small farmholders and non-farm holders, while no effect was observed for above-economic holdings. Land use patterns showed an increase in cropped and sown areas, reflecting enhanced agricultural productivity. I find transparency as the primary mechanism driving these effects, as digitization reduces information asymmetry and limits opportunities for corruption by increasing public access to reliable land records. A game-theoretic model is proposed to explain how transparency influences bureaucratic behavior and citizen engagement. Robustness checks using intent-to-treat and local average treatment effect analyses confirm the consistency of results across various specifications. These findings highlight the transformative potential of e-governance reforms in improving state capacity, fostering accountability, and promoting inclusive development. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for scaling similar interventions in other regions to enhance governance outcomes.

This paper examines the impact of exposure to terrorism on mental health and labor market outcomes in the United States, focusing on the unexpected 9/11 attack. Using data from the Global Terrorism Database and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys, we find that exposure to terrorism significantly deteriorates mental health, which in turn is associated with adverse labor market outcomes, including employment and income. However, we do not find any significant effects on physical health or overall general health. Our findings show heterogeneous effects across gender, income, race, and ethnicity, with females and high-income individuals experiencing the most significant impacts. These results suggest the need for mental health interventions and economic support policies to mitigate the socioeconomic consequences of terrorism exposure.

This paper answers "Who terrorists attack?", estimating the impact of terrorism on employment in Pakistan. Using instrumental variable estimation, I find that attacks reduce employment by 7.4 percentage points, a pronounced and significant than what is predicted by the difference-in-differences type estimator. I find that terrorists target areas experiencing positive shocks. Using a unique set of datasets, I find interesting mechanisms including media exposure, extremism, pro-sharia, migration, soft targets, development, and education. Findings are heterogeneous by gender, area, industry, and occupation types. Exclusion restriction, instrument validity, robustness, placebo, and falsification tests are consistent across specifications.

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