While expressing optimism about the results of policies that the government has implemented in agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said, “We remain committed to staying the course and continue to execute structural reforms with respect to taxation, energy and state-owned enterprises to put our country on the trajectory of sustainable productivity and export-led growth.”

The country’s economy grew by a paltry 1.7 per cent during the second quarter of this fiscal year, propelled mainly by the services sector, with productive sectors — agriculture and industry — facing severe challenges.

Moreover, the average growth rate during the first half of the fiscal year, an analyst notes, stood at approximately 1.5pc, far below the population growth, highlighting concerns regarding the economy’s ability to generate sufficient jobs to address the expanding youth labour force.

Approximately 1.3m better-educated young Pakistanis enter the labour market each year. The World Bank’s........

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