PAKISTAN MISSES GROWTH TARGET, BUT IS THE ECONOMY ON THE RISE?
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday strongly rejected the federal
Erdogan reiterates his countr y ’s suppor t to Pakistan on key issues
Minister thanked President
Erdogan once again for Turkiye’s strong and unwavering support to Pakistan during the recent PakistanIndia crisis He said this gesture has won the hearts of the people of Pakistan and added another glorious chapter to the history of PakistanTurkiye brotherhood Both leaders reaffirmed their unflinching support to each other on their core interests They also discussed the latest regional and global developments, including the situation in Gaza In his remarks, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Prime Minister for his good wishes on Eidul Azha and reciprocated these sentiments for the people of Pakistan He also reaffirmed Turkiye s resolute support to Pakistan on all important issues
Pakistan warns India of militar y response if new dams or c anals disrupt Pakistan’s water supply
LONDON S TA F F R E P O R T Pakistan s former Foreign Minister and the head of the Pakistani parliamentary delegation, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, warned India on Monday that Pakistan would be forced to take aggressive actions if India proceeds with building new canals or dams on rivers flowing into Pakistan His remarks, made during an interview with Sky News, condemned the weaponization of water by India and emphasized the severe consequences for the region if such steps were taken Bilawal also the chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), declared that India s threat to cut off water supplies to 240 million Pakistanis would be a violation of the United Nations Charter He stressed that if India acted on this threat Pakistan would consider it an act of war
We can t allow this precedent to be set; we can t weaponize water,” he said, underscoring that any attempt by India to build new infrastructure on the three rivers shared between the two nations would trigger more aggressive steps from Pakistan The former foreign minister
that
He reiterated that throughout the recent escalation Pakistan had acted with restraint and responsibility, and emphasized that the country’s message remains one of peace, through dialogue and diplomacy
Bilawal underscored that Pakistan believes there is no military solution
Pakistan and India had been to war before, the current situation presented a uniquely dangerous precedent At the moment the threshold for conflict between India and Pakistan is the lowest it s ever been in our history We’ve achieved a ceasefire, but we have not achieved peace,” Bilawal noted
to any of the disputes with India “Unfortunately India refuses to talk he said We are going from capital to capital engaging with the international community, seeking their assistance in our pursuit for peace ”
Bilawal also addressed the ongoing issue of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) which governs watersharing between the two countries
He explained that there is no legal basis for suspending or putting the treaty in abeyance, as it involves not only Pakistan and India, but also international institutions requiring consensus for any changes
PSX CALLS FOR RESOLUTION OF SALES TA X JURISDICTION ISSUES AT CCI, URGES REFORMS IN MINIMUM TA X REGIME
would
and
that all mills and suppliers comply with food-grade standards
Iskandar Khan, Chairman of PPWSMA, mentioned the minimal price difference between certified polypropylene sacks and ordinary sacks Rs 9 for a 20 kg bag and Rs 7 for a 10 kg bag arguing that the benefits of
National A ssembly speaker approves parliamentar y schedule for budget session
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has approved the parliamentary schedule for the upcoming budget session confirming that the federal budget for fiscal year 2025-26 will be presented on June 10 A parliamentary session to discuss the budget will follow on June 13, according to a statement from the NA Secretariat As per Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad s earlier announcement the federal budget will be presented on June 10 while the Pakistan Economic Survey will be released a day before, on Monday [today] Sadiq clarified that no sessions
would take place on June 11 and 12 and the discussion on the budget will begin in the National Assembly on June 13 Parliamentary parties will have the opportunity to discuss the budget in accordance with the established rules and regulations
tinue through June 21 and it will be finalised on that day No session will be held on June 22 but necessary ex-
June 23 The Speaker further outlined that debates and voting on motions for deductions and grants will take place on June 24 and 25 and the Finance Bill 2025-26 will be finalized on June 26
A final debate and voting on supplementary grants and other issues will take place on June 27 with the possibility of schedule changes subject to the Speaker s approval Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized that the government’s key priorities in the upcoming budget will include providing relief to the common man along with focusing on job creation agriculture information technology, small and medium enterprises, and the housing sector Meanwhile, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal revealed that the government will allocate a Rs1 trillion development budget and suggested that defense spending may see an increase in the upcoming fiscal year
2025 AS TELECOM SUBSCRIBERS NEAR 200 MILLION
Pakistan has set ambitious trade and economic goals under the Annual Development Plan for the fiscal year 2025-26, aiming to boost
Mobile industr y looks to budget 2025-26 with high expec tations
bile phones to protect local manufacturers and emphasised that domestic companies must continue to be safeguarded The government should allocate a dedicated Export Development Fund (EDF) in the budget, Paracha said, adding that countries like India, Bangladesh and Vietnam have already done so China is exporting mobile phones worth $150 billion If Pakistan could secure even $15billion in exports many of the country s economic challenges could be addressed, he said
Mobile phone manufacturers also demanded the reversal of the 18% sales tax on mobile phones arguing that it has made devices significantly more expensive and impacted affordability Paracha said that there is currently no policy in place to support local laptop manufacturing Imported laptops are cheaper, while locally assembled ones remain expensive due to lack of support ” he added He called on the government to introduce a special policy to encourage the local production of laptops which could reduce reliance on imports and create jobs
TH E R E are moments in policymaking when the very tools meant to grow revenue end up stifling
A nation in need of healthcare reforms
Doctor exodus
Mahnoor raza
IN a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict Ukraine launched a highly sophisticted drone strike on Russian airbases reportedly damaging and destroying a substantial portion of Moscow s strategic bomber fleet this operation, codenamed “Spiderweb,” involved the deployment of 117 AI-guided drones, which targeted five key Russian airbases across regions including Murmansk Irkutsk Ivanovo Ryazan and Amur the attack resulted in the destruction and severe damage of over 40 aircraft, including tu-95, tu22M3, tu-160 bombers, and A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft the damage to Russia has been estimated to be round $7 billion marking a significant blow to Russia s long-range aerial capabilities the timing of this strike coincided with peace talks in Istanbul, mediated by turkish President Recep tayyip Erdoğan the peace talks highlighted the fundamentally opposing objectives of Russia and Ukraine Russia demands recognition of its control over annexed territories including Crimea and four other regions the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces and a commitment from Ukraine to remain neutral and non-aligned, effectively preventing NAtO membership Conversely, Ukraine insists on the complete withdrawal of Russian troops the restoration of its territorial integrity and security guarantees from Western countries to prevent further aggression Ukraine also seeks the prosecution of Russian leaders for war crimes and the return of abducted Ukrainian children the latest attack an advanced, hightech and professionally maneuvered drone strike has dealt a severe blow to Russia If such attacks continue and Russia finds itself unable to respond with conventional forces in kind, there is a growing possibility that Moscow may seriously consider the use of tactical nuclear weapons
Russia may seek not only to counterbalance the damage inflicted but also to punish those directly involved in planning, executing, and supporting the operation this could mean that Russia may expand the scope of the war targeting European capitals that have been providing aid and resources to Ukraine actions which have now become a significantconcern for the United States and its allies, as the war risks spiraling beyond its current boundaries
By striking deep into the heart of Russia with such precision and devastation Ukraine has gained a position of relative strength compared to Moscow a factor that will provide Kyiv with greater bargaining leverage in any potential future negotiations if such talks materialize at all However, Russia is even more astute It is unlikely to enter into any meaningful negotiation from a position of weakness
Instead Russia will likely seek to counterbalance the damage inflicted upon it and may even surpass Ukraine s gains with its own retaliatory strikes, in order to restore its strategic advantage before considering any talks this tit-for-tat escalation is a profoundly dangerous dynamic one that risks undermining any prospects for peace and threatens to prolong and intensify the conflict between the two nations As the war drags into its fourth year, both Russia and Ukraine along with their allies in Europe and the United States are beginning to grasp the immense toll this war has taken Russia has sustained military losses exceeding $94 billion as of May 2025 with inflation and a weakened ruble further straining its economy Ukraine s economy has been crippled, with a cumulative GDP loss of $120 billion, infrastructure damages topping $1 trillion and reconstruction needs projected at a staggering $524 billion nearly triple its pre-war GDP Meanwhile European allies have not been spared: German companies alone faced losses of at least €200 billion in 2022, particularly in the au-
tomotive, energy, and chemical
By striking deep into the hear t of Russia with such precision and devastation, Ukraine has gained a position of relative strength compared to Moscow, a factor that will provide Kyiv with greater bargaining leverag e in any potential future negotiations if such talks materializ e at all However, Russia is even more astute It is unlikely to enter into any meaningful negotiation from a position of weakness
I s t h e r e d s t a r s e t t i n g o v e r I n d i a ?
The Trump-Musk feud
India s experiment with revolution, beginning in 1946 in telangana by the Communist Party in India, reappeared after a lull in northern West Bengal in 1967 which China described as Spring thunder over India this 79-year-old revolution grew to be ferocious since the beginning of the millennium However facing a fierce assault from the Indian state lately, it is up against the Narendra Modi regime s promise of a “Naxal free” India by March 2026 the recent debilitating blows to Maoists after the elimination of their top leaders Basavaraju in Chhattisgarh and Pappu Lohra in Jharkhand along with several prominent revolutionaries begs the question that having survived for nearly eight decades, why this people s movement , or revolution , has been seen as a threat to India’s public security
THE BEGINNING AND THE RISE: the leaders of the Communist Party of India (CPI) organised the impoverished and exploited peasants in the telangana region during the 1940s the domination of the entrenched Deshmukh (revenue collectors) over decades, culminated in the first Marxist-LeninistMaoist ‘revolution’ in India since 1946 the region’s social fabric and political economy was ripe for the CPI to mobilise the local population for the uprising India s independence in the process then came on 15 August 1947 but was declared a sham independence by the communists the Deshmukh, the feared Doras, had comprehensive control over their ‘parganas’ (administrative units), as also over the lives of the peasants in their domain Naturally it became the decisive factor in the uprising in the telangana countryside which had a consolidated exploitative structure and a perpetuated servile labour the merchants and usurers extracted free service from the various service castes under the vetti (forced labour) system the Doras also physically exploited the women of their ‘subjects’ the Indian state intervened after independence using force diplomacy and ‘imagination’ to end the revolution Still under the ideological influence of the Soviet leaders the CPI ended the revolution on the personal advice of Joseph Stalin, who counselled them to participate in the forthcoming election in the nascent democratic republic As the Indian state used the army to crush the movement, they invited Gandhi’s disciple Vinoba Bhave Interacting with the local populace he discovered the bhoodan (gift of land) transformed this into a movement which influenced the landless who ended the first revolutionary movement in 1951-52 the parliamentary foray of the CPI was successful; it secured the second place in the Lok Sabha, with 16 seats and consolidated itself in the second general election in 1957 with 27 seats this eventually created differences between the parliamentary and the revolutionary factions of the communist
movement in India and finally a split in 1964 Beginning with two letters written in 1924 by S A Dange and emerging revisionism in the party polarised the factions around the differences between the USSR and China thus emerged Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1964 the CPI(M) was the new axis around which the peasants organised in Naxalbari in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district Charu Majumdar Jangal Santhal and Kanu Sanyal were the three key leaders who mobilised the tribals and peasants against the jotedars (the landowners who had been leased lands by the British government under the Acts of 1859 and 1879) An attack on a jotedar s granary by the exploited peasants and tribals on March 3, 1967, flared up after clashes with the police in Naxalbari Phansideva and Kharibari police stations of the Siliguri subdivision Since the CPI(M) also participated in the 1967 elections and became a part of the West Bengal government, having emerged successful along with their coalition partners, the party witnessed another split Now, the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) became the vanguard of the Naxalbari movement What followed was a paradoxical engagement with each other of the two communist parties – one part of the government and the other leading a revolution the movement emerging from Naxalbari was eventually crushed by the early 1970s It nevertheless succeeded in effecting land reforms that were carried forward by the CPI(M) that participated in the government However what sprouted in Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh) was carried till the 1980s and spread in much larger parts of the country In this case also the exploited hill tribes (the girijans) were mobilised by a non-party school teacher, Vempatapu Satynarayana the communist parties stepped in later the Srikakulam movement remained locale-specific and despite spurts of violence in the tribal areas in eastern Madhya Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh) and central and south Bihar (now Jharkhand) in the 1990s the militarised activities of the People s War Group in Andhra Pradesh remained the main causes for concern for the state and Union governments this movement also lost its punch within a decade – by the mid-1970s First in a concerted action the police declared Srikakulam a disturbed area and succeeded in killing and arresting a number of Naxalites including Satyanarayana Second the Maoists annihilation tactics proved disastrous in the plains, where the movement was organisationally weak In the hills, it did not remain confined to dalams as hundreds of girijans participated in brutal killings Aside from reeling under heavy police repression the Naxals defeated themselves by alienating a portion of the population including the girijans the movement had succeeded in setting an agenda for development and welfare that the government followed However, the programmes did not succeed due to departmental corruption
During the 1970s and 80s the movement became highly doctrinaire in Andhra Pradesh and telangana region causing debates and sharp divisions among the leaders and their cadres they got organized as dalam(s), who were often involved in violent conflicts As a result, with concerted action, the police succeeded in killing and arresting a number of Naxalites In the hills it did not remain confined to dalams as hundreds of girijans participated in brutal killings Aside from reeling under heavy police repression the Naxals defeated themselves by alienating a portion of the population including the girijans However, their agenda succeeded as a total of 527,000 acres of the Integrated tribal Development Agency Project Area of Srikakulam
5 543 67 acres (3 9 per cent of total cultivable land) was restored by 1979 the story of the movement during the 1980s and 1990s is full of contradictions including fratricide brutal clashes with the police and the use of different dalams by political parties for electoral gains
CONSOLIDATION AND AFTER: On 21 September 2004 the two most militant groups – CPIML (People s War) and the Maoist Communist Centre of India – merged to form CPI (Maoist) which is the largest and the most-powerful Maoist group With the formation of People s Liberation Guerilla Army, nearly 3,500 fighters equipped with sophisticated arms and well-formed organisational structure the CPI (Maoist) developed an edge with which according to the Ministry of Home Affairs Report (2005-06) they controlled nearly 76 districts in nine states In fact at one point their influence expanded in one-third of the districts in the country the government response to such an expansion was confused the raising of a militia named Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh in 2005 to counter the Naxals resulted in avoidable violent conflicts with the local population A group of intelligentsia filed a writ petition for its dissolution in the Supreme Court in 2008 In its judgment in 2011 the court-ordered disbanding of the militia, pointing out that poverty and exploitation that have led to the rise of left-wing extremism need to be attended to the erstwhile Planning Commission appointed an expert group to look into the causes of left-wing extremism It concluded: there is no denying that what goes in the name of naxalism is to a large extent a product of collective failure to assure to different segments of society their basic entitlements under the Constitution and other protective legislation there is also no denying that the nation is now caught in a vicious circle of violence and counterviolence (p 83) Yet in October 2009 the Union government ended up launching what was eventually unsuccessful Operation Green Hunt this witnessed a massive deployment of the central paramilitary forces in the affected districts to eliminate left-wing extremism the militants would still organise very successful guerilla operations against the security forces
SINCE 2014: Since the regime change in 2014 both at the centre and in several affected states, the Modi government has focused on the use of force Since the extremist groups have also been weakened due to the elimination of top leaders and cadres –many have surrendered too – their influence has shrunk Moreover over the years the movement has not been alive to the democracy question causing their influence on the ground to wane Economic development in the affected areas has also diminished the lure of the gun Excessively febrile on the use of force, the Modi government has to focus on development and the questions of rights in the resource (forest minerals etc ) rich areas One of its avoidable strategies is the use of the ambiguous category of Urban Naxal under which dozens of intellectuals and social workers have been put behind bars under anti-terror laws the judiciary also has to be fair in considering bail for them Ajay K Mehra is a political scientist and a visiting professor at the Centre for Multilevel
Qamar Bashir
told Modi what are you doing? Surrender And, ji hazoor, Modi followed Trump s instructions In addition to his criticism of Modi, Gandhi turned his focus to the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, accusing the BJP-led government of rigging the elections on an “industrial scale ” In an op-ed for Indian Express Gandhi called the manipulation of the election a blueprint for rigging democracy and warned that similar tactics might be used in the upcoming Bihar elections Describing the election fraud as more than small-scale cheating, Gandhi condemned the ruling BJP for undermining public trust and stated “Match-fixing might win you the game but it poisons democracy ” The Congress leader pointed to the 2023 Election Commissioners Appointment Act which allowed the BJP government to control the selection of election commissioners
US, China open key trade talks in London
BEIJING S TA F F R E P O R T China and the United States began a new round of trade talks in London on Monday as the world s two biggest economies seek to shore up a shaky truce after bruising tit-for-tat tariffs Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the start of the talks The two sides are meeting in the historic Lancaster House run by the UK Foreign Office following a first round of talks in Geneva last month Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng was again heading the team in London Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are leading the US delegation President Donald Trump said on Friday The meeting should go very well, Trump said on his Truth Social platform His press secretary,
Karoline Leavitt, told Fox News on Sunday: “We want China and the United States to continue moving forward with the agreement that was struck in Geneva
While the UK government reiterated that it was not involved in the discussions, a spokesperson said: “We are a nation that champions free trade ” UK authorities “have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody s interests so we welcome these talks the spokesperson added The talks in London come just a few days after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally held their first publicly announced telephone talks since the Republican returned to the White House Trump said Thursday s call reached a very positive conclusion Xi was quoted by Xinhua as saying, “Correcting the course of the big ship of Sino-US relations requires us to steer well and set the
direction Tensions between the two nations have soared, with Trump accusing Beijing of violating a tariff de-escalation deal reached in Geneva in mid-May We need China to comply with their side of the deal And so that s what the trade team will be discussing tomorrow,” Leavitt said on Sunday A key issue will be Beijing’s shipments of rare earths crucial to a range of goods including electric vehicle batteries and which have been a bone of contention for some time Rare earth shipments from China to the US have slowed since President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day tariffs in April said Kathleen Brooks research director at trading group XTB The US wants these shipments to be reinstated, while China wants the US to rethink immigration curbs on students restrictions on access to advanced technology
C hinese vice premier meets with UK chancellor of exchequer
PER CAPITA INCoME INCREASEd
We stand as solid as a rock
AWAN
Pakistan is an eternal reality, founded to last until the end of time God willing The sacrifices of our forefathers have borne the fruit of a radiant Pakistan Today the guiding principles of our founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah faith, unity, and discipline shine as bright as ever These principles guarantee our survival progress and prosperity Whenever we have embraced them we have emerged victorious among the nations of the world
The first major demonstration of these principles by our current generation was in 1998, when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif conducted nuclear tests At that time Pakistan faced immense international pressure but his government courageously resisted and, in response to India s five nuclear explosions, carried out six tests, proving Pakistan's strategic superiority The people of Pakistan were united and full of enthusiasm This national unity strengthened Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif s resolve and courage, resulting in Pakistan becoming the only nuclear power in the Islamic world
The second manifestation of this unity was witnessed during the recent Pakistan-India conflict This collective resolve was unforgettable After the Pulwama false flag attack, India falsely accused Pakistan and built a baseless narrative that the international community did not accept as India failed to provide any evidence of Pakistan s involvement India then initiated aggression in an attempt to establish regional dominance That unprovoked aggression rallied the Pakistani nation The entire nation
became a wall of steel in the face of Indian hostility Operation Bunyān Mursūs gave Pakistan a new identity on the world stage In a matter of hours Pakistan shot down six Indian fighter jets, destroyed Indian air bases, and sent a clear message to the world: Pakistan is not a weak nation neither its army nor its people are fragile All three stand united and ready to confront any external enemy
This unity among Pakistanis has shaken hostile forces In recent times, a well-organized narrative of hatred was being built to create a divide between the state and its people and to turn the public against their own armed forces But the recent conflict with India demolished all such narratives The people of Pakistan stood like a wall beside their armed forces Their passion boosted the morale of the military The enemy who dreamed of seizing Lahore Islamabad and Karachi was brought to its knees within hours
This war not only defeated India but also humiliated those who plotted against Pakistan and its military who tried to sow seeds of hatred and division Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, with their steadfast resolve, have given Pakistan a renewed recognition on the global stage
Pakistan desires peace In pursuit of this peace it remains the only country in the world that has fought a prolonged war against extremists and terrorists and continues to do so In this war on terror, Pakistan has made unmatched sacrifices losing more than 80 000 lives The brave sons of this nation laid down their lives in defence of the motherland The courage of their mothers deserves the nation s highest salute Today, India would not dare think of engaging in a direct war with Pakistan However it continues to wage proxy wars by sponsoring terrorism within Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir first labelled Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the "Khawarij insurgency" and has now named the BLA as the "Fitna of Hindustan " The state has decided that after defeating India its proxies will also be crushed
The people of Pakistan must remain united for the sake of peace, progress, and prosperity Our enemy is cunning It no longer has the courage to attack openly Instead it tries to spark hatred and create divisions using ethnic nationalism and fabricated narratives
If we remain united no force can prevent us from eliminating these proxies
Our victory lies in our unity
We are one
We are Pakistan
We are alive
We are a wall of steel
The Writer is the PRO of Information Minister Punjab
ISLAMABAD
S TA F F R E P O R T
In line with the directions of Chairman CDA, Chief Commissioner Islamabad and DG Civil Defence Muhammad Ali Randhawa the relevant wings of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has said decided to intensify the ongoing anti-encroachment operation to keep Islamabad’s land free from all illegal constructions and encroachments In this regard on the instructions of the Chairman CDA an operation to eliminate illegal constructions and encroachments in the Diplomatic Enclave area of Is-
lamabad will also soon commence In this connection, the Director General of Building Control and Housing has initiated the process of issuing notices for the removal of illegal constructions and encroachments in the Diplomatic Enclave It is hereby informed that the owners of residential and commercial buildings, tenants and other concerned individuals in the Diplomatic Enclave are advised to voluntarily remove encroachments and illegal constructions themselves Otherwise all illegal constructions and encroachments established on CDA land in the Diplomatic Enclave will be demolished as per law
The CDA has appealed to the owners of residential and commercial buildings, tenants and other stakeholders in the Diplomatic Enclave to cooperate by voluntarily removing all illegal constructions and encroachments immediately
The CDA has made it clear that if the aforementioned encroachments and illegal constructions are not removed voluntarily, they will be dismantled in accordance with the law during the operation This may result in significant financial losses for the violators Furthermore legal action will be taken under CDA regulations, and all properties based on illegal occupations will be sealed by the government
JIBRAN AMANULLAH In the rapidly evolving global financial landscape digital currencies have emerged as disruptive forces challenging traditional financial systems redefining money and unlocking new economic opportunities Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and many others operate
AurANgzeb hiNTS AT reviSiNg
Power demand shrinks 3.6% in FY25 due to tariff hike, weak industr y
changing rainfall patterns
The commercial sector experienced a modest increase rising from 6,776 GWh to 6,898 GWh, suggesting a mild recovery in business and retail activity Consumption in the “others” category which includes public lighting and government buildings remained stable at around 7 037 GWh Meanwhile the country s installed power generation capacity reached 46,605 MW as of March 2025, reflecting a 1 6 percent increase over the previous year
Cleaner energy sources hydropower nuclear and renewables accounted for 44 3 percent of total capacity, indicating a gradual shift away from thermal generation
up from 39,286 GWh in the previous year Analysts attribute this rise to population growth, increased use of home appliances and seasonal demand patterns
In contrast the industrial sector s consumption dropped to 21,082 GWh from 22,031 GWh, reducing its share to 26 3 percent
The agriculture sector recorded the steepest fall consuming just 4 566 GWh a 34 3 percent decline as many farmers reportedly shifted to diesel or solar-powered irrigation systems due to rising power costs and
While the energy mix reflects some diversification the declining consumption trend suggests broader economic challenges and highlights the need for targeted measures to stimulate demand and support industrial recovery Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb while presenting the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25 stated that every transformation takes two to three years, yet the power sector had achieved a “historic recovery” within just one year He noted improvements in the governance of power distribution companies
According to the Survey petroleum product consumption recorded a year-on-year growth of 4 5 percent The energy sector continues
The agriculture sector s major crops recorded a significant 13 5 percent contraction in FY2025 according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25 underscoring mounting vulnerabilities from climate change and longstanding structural issues
Unveiling the survey on Monday, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb acknowledged the scale of the challenge stating: “I can say with certainty that climate change has played a major role in the negative growth of crops while noting that other contributing factors were also at play
Overall, the agriculture sector grew by just 0 56 percent during FY2025 below the historical trend, but still positive given adverse climatic conditions This modest growth was supported by stronger performances in livestock (4 72%) fisheries (1 42%) and forestry (3 03%) However the crop sub-sector historically a major contributor to agricultural GDP contracted by 6 82 percent The decline in major crops wheat, maize, sug-
to play a central role in Pakistan s economic and industrial development influencing productivity trade competitiveness, and overall quality of life
During the first nine months of FY2025 (July–March) the country faced persistent challenges related to energy affordability sustainability and security However a combination of policy reforms, capacity additions, and changes in the energy mix signal incremental progress toward a more diversified and resilient energy framework
The report provides an overview of developments in electricity generation, consumption trends, installed capacity, and the role of private investment facilitated by the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) It also outlines key trends in petroleum natural gas and coal production and consumption
As of March 2025, Pakistan s total installed electricity generation capacity stood at 46,605 MW Hydropower nuclear and renewable sources collectively accounted for 44 3 percent of this capacity up from previous years while the share of thermal generation declined to 55 7 percent In terms of actual generation, 90,145 GWh was produced during July–March FY2025 with 53 7 percent generated through hydropower nuclear and renewables Household consumption remained the dominant component, accounting for nearly half of total electricity use
arcane and cotton was accompanied by a 19 03 percent fall