ZULFIQAR AHMAD
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly turned into a political roasting pit on Monday as the federal government faced blistering criticism over plummeting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) – and this time, the fire came from within its own coalition camp, courtesy of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In a fiery session, PPP lawmaker Sharmila Faruqui called it a “disastrous failure” to attract FDI, despite the full-throttle involvement of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
The outspoken PPP lawmaker from Sindh said that instead of delivering results, the SIFC had so far produced little more than tall claims and empty promises.
She threw cold, hard numbers into the House: FDI for the 2023-24 period was a paltry $2.3 billion – just three per cent of the government’s touted $70 billion target. Even worse, she pointed out that between July 2024 and May 2025, investment dropped further to $1.785 billion – a three per cent decrease.
“Why is investor confidence so low in Pakistan, even with the prime minister and military leadership directly involved,” Faruqui questioned.
The PPP lawmaker did not stop there. “I’ve been given promises and mentions of bilateral agreements in response to my question about FDI – but there’s nothing real on the ground. Where is the foreign investment? Why is it vanishing instead of growing,” she asked.
However, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary rose to the government’s rescue. He heaped praise on the SIFC, insisting that since its inception, it had cut red tape and made Pakistan a more investor-friendly destination.
Chaudhry claimed a significant improvement in investor interest and brushed aside the bleak numbers, painting a picture of booming sectors and economic revival.
Chaudhry lauded the SIFC’s mission to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and promising rosy outcomes.
At the onset of the session, Minister of State for Climate Change Dr Shezra Mansab told the House that 24+ high-impact eco-projects have been greenlit to restore dying ecosystems, refill shrinking groundwater, and secure water for farms.
From wetland conservation in Sindh to watershed rehab in KP, and irrigation fixes in Punjab and Balochistan, she added, it’s a nationwide green mission – and the provinces are taking charge on the ground.
