ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday dismissed the government’s economic assertions as misleading, pointing to a 27 per cent drop in year-to-date foreign direct investment (FDI) to USD1.35 billion, alongside a record-low investment-to-GDP ratio of roughly 13 per cent.
Challenging the government’s claims of a USD167 million increase in FDI in March and a 5.89 per cent rise in large-scale manufacturing (LSM) during the same period, PTI said the investment-to-GDP ratio remains at an unprecedented low.
PTI spokesman Sheikh Waqas Akram described these reported gains as “artificial,” attributing the LSM growth to low-base effects and a shift towards cheaper Chinese vehicles in import-dependent sectors.
He also highlighted the exit of several multinational companies since 2022, including Procter & Gamble, various oil and gas firms, and pharmaceutical groups, adding that companies such as PepsiCo, Maersk, and Halmore Power had recently raised concerns about Pakistan’s investment climate with foreign missions.
“While a current account surplus has been reported, underlying economic challenges persist,” Akram said, pointing to stagnant exports since 2022, a widening trade deficit, high production and energy costs, and what he termed predatory taxation.
He warned that declining remittances from the Middle East could trigger a currency crisis.
On the energy front, he criticised the government for steep electricity price hikes – from Rs15-20 per unit in 2018 to over Rs60 – blaming costly US dollar-denominated power projects signed between 2013 and 2018.
He also questioned claims of growth in solar energy adoption, arguing that expansion had occurred despite policy reversals and higher taxes.
Akram further condemned government austerity measures, alleging that exemptions allowed senior government officials to approve unlimited payments while ordinary citizens were urged to tighten their belts.
He pointed to rising public spending, including the acquisition of a Gulfstream jet by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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