Honorable Minister, Mr Ahsan Iqbal,

WHILE addressing the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) meeting on June 1, 2026, you rightly and unequivocally emphasized that “Pakistan’s economy should rely not on foreign loans but on its own resources.” This observation is both timely and pertinent, as it is widely recognized that excessive dependence on external borrowing can seriously undermine a nation’s prospects for sustainable long-term growth and development, particularly when debt levels become unmanageable or are not prudently managed.

As you are aware, Pakistan’s total external debt and liabilities currently stand at approximately $138 billion. By mid-2026, the country finds itself grappling with a formidable debt burden, with debt servicing absorbing a substantial share of federal revenues. For the fiscal year 2025–26, debt servicing expenditures are projected to range between PKR 8.2 trillion and PKR 8.7........

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