‘A loan plus a statement equals IMF?’

That Business Recorder op-ed writer Shabir Ahmed has deep insights into the country’s economy is a fact; his is a highly impressive contribution to the ongoing debate about the present state of country’s economy. He has argued, among other things, that “Apparently for the government the real fear is that dalliance with the IMF will shake the legs off its pro-poor platform. The consequent cost of living spike, and lacklustre growth (impacting job creation), will corrode its credibility… . What the government needs to do is moderate its narrative. Prepare people to trade a harsh today for a better tomorrow – on a sustained basis. Not quite ‘offer them death and they will accept fever’, but something close.”

No doubt, the writer has made a sincere effort towards highlighting some critical aspects of country’s economy. The government is required to pay heed to all the sane advices in order to bring about a qualitative change in the economic indicators of the country.

Islamabad Nazim Khan