Business leaders demand policy stability away from short-term fixes

Recent improvements in Pakistan's external finances have prompted a sort of guarded optimism among policymakers, but the business community believes the country still needs deeper structural changes to move towards durable economic growth. Their concerns focus on policy continuity, high borrowing costs, slow investment and an export base that remains too narrow to support long-term stability. According to Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Senior Executive Committee Member Ali Imran Asif, the economy has entered a phase where temporary indicators often create the impression of long-term improvement. He noted that the rise in foreign exchange reserves, supported by strategic purchases and a reduction in forward liabilities, is encouraging, but does not yet reflect a shift in the underlying economic fundamentals.