PESHAWAR: Advisor to the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muzzammil Aslam has rejected the federal government’s claims of economic improvement.
In a statement issued here on Monday, Aslam stated that Pakistan has recorded its lowest electricity production in February 2025 since February 2020, post-COVID-19. Moreover, the country’s large-scale manufacturing (LSM) sector has seen a decline of 1.8% in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.
Aslam further emphasized that the LSM sector experienced a negative growth of 1.2% in January alone.
Aslam warned that the newly introduced gas tariff for captive power units may lead to a further decline in the coming months, reflecting a decrease in demand, purchasing power, and export competitiveness.
Aslam concluded that the economy is on the verge of stagnation, despite the government’s prediction of 3.1% growth for 2024-25. However, he expressed doubts about achieving even 1% growth in the next fiscal year due to negative growth in large-scale manufacturing and agriculture.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
