Pakistan, March 2 -- There is a curious alchemy to markets. They are places where transactions occur, but more than that, they are places where lives intersect. Stand in the middle of a bustling bazaar in Lahore, Delhi, or Dhaka, and you will find that the rhythm is the same-the bargaining, the haggling, the occasional raised voice followed by an exasperated smile. A market, anywhere in South Asia, is a theatre of human connection.

But markets are not just about commerce; they are reflections of governance, policy, and, to some extent, the values a society places on equity and access. Among the South Asian nations, each has its own model for public markets, and each tells a different story. If you want to understand how a country looks a...