In Pakistan, corporate lobbies and elite groups, often with direct access to the highest levels of power, may not formally draft economic policies but frequently influence them to serve their own interests, sometimes at the expense of broader societal needs.

While most observers acknowledge the influence of elite groups on policymaking, analysts often struggle to explain how these actors shape government preferences to suit their narrow interests at the cost of the economy and society. Despite evidence of policy shifts aligned with elite agendas, a comprehensive understanding of the full range of tools and tactics used by lobbyists in Pakistan remains largely unexplored and under-researched.

This may, in part, reflect the reality that Pakistan’s democratic system is still in its infancy and has yet to grow deep roots. Even so, when a government, despite being aware of hardships faced by the working population, enforces sharp increases in the prices of essentials like petrol and gas while continuing to subsidise rentiers, realtors, brokers, barons, traders and the agricultural elite, it underscores the urgent need for reforms.

For instance, over the past month, the government has raised the price of petrol by over Rs15 to Rs266.79 per litre. This increase comes despite a decline in global oil prices from around $72 to approximately $67 per barrel over the same period.

A similar trend is seen in gas tariffs, which have been unilaterally doubled, without........

© Dawn Business