Asad Umar Raises Concerns Over Pakistan’s Economic Decline, Cites World Bank Poverty Report
Former federal minister Asad Umar has expressed concern over Pakistan’s deteriorating economic situation, saying that international assessments questioning whether the country is becoming a failed state should serve as a wake-up call.
In a statement, Umar referred to a programme by German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), which examined whether Pakistan was heading towards becoming a failed state and being pushed backwards.
He said such an assessment was a matter of serious concern for the country.
The former minister also cited a World Bank report, saying it had highlighted a record and sharp increase in poverty in Pakistan.
He pointed out that the findings stood in contrast to the incumbent government’s repeated claims that the country’s economic conditions were improving compared with the past.
Taking a sarcastic swipe at the government’s stance, Umar questioned whether the authorities could see economic improvement that remained invisible to Pakistan’s 250 million people and the rest of the world, or whether the government was disconnected from reality.
He said ordinary citizens were struggling with inflation and the economic crisis, while international institutions were highlighting economic deterioration.
Under such circumstances, he added, the government’s narrative that everything was going well amounted to adding to the suffering of the public.
Make the headline more conciseAttribute claims more carefully
