FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s acknowledgement that Pakistan’s financial stability hinges on curbing militancy is a rare moment of candidness in our economic policy discourse. For too long, policymakers have refrained from admitting how militant violence and political instability drive away foreign investment. At a media briefing in Washington, Mr Aurangzeb stated that sustained economic development and investor confidence depended on domestic peace and political cohesion. “From a financial angle, this action [against militant groups] is necessary,” he said, underscoring a reality long known but rarely spoken of — Pakistan’s economic prospects........

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