An endless economic sprint

Pakistan’s economy is like a runner on a treadmill whose pace is controlled by the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) conditions. With each bailout, the treadmill speeds up, and our poor runner sweats blood in the form of reduced subsidies, indirect tax hikes, and tariff increases. The real question does not circle around the speed of the treadmill; it now focuses on how to get off. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s economic landscape epitomises contradictions. Our country’s economic policies have evolved over time, myopically focusing on short-term solutions that mainly cater to debt servicing rather than fostering sustainable revenue generation that strengthens the Gross National Product.