Mian Zahid Hussain has expressed concern about Pakistan’s rising public debt and declining exports, stressing the need to focus more on productive sectors to reduce dependence on borrowing. Citing official data, he said external public debt reached $98.1 billion by June 2026, while domestic debt climbed to Rs59.4 trillion.

He noted that Pakistan spent $14.4 billion on external debt servicing during FY2025-26 and received $16.2 billion in foreign assistance, underscoring the need to strengthen foreign exchange earnings through exports and investment. He also called for reducing unnecessary government expenditure and improving tax collection to contain debt growth.

Mian Zahid highlighted that merchandise exports fell 5.9% to $30.1 billion during the fiscal year, while imports rose 8.1% to $69.8 billion, widening the trade deficit to $39.6 billion. He said narrowing this gap required higher value-added production, export-oriented industrial growth and continued imports of essential raw materials and machinery.

He further said that remittances of $41.6 billion provided crucial foreign exchange support but could not substitute for sustainable export growth. He urged the government to ensure affordable energy, low-cost financing and timely tax refunds for exporters, adding that long-term economic stability depended on expanding industrial production, exports and employment.