And it’s not war, but the economy, that remains the most pressing concern. It seems that despite a good 36pc fall in the development program the fiscal deficit could well exceed seven percent of GDP by the end of the fiscal. Add to that the 10pc rise in petroleum prices, effective March 1, and the lot of the common man also becomes pretty obvious. Very early in this electoral cycle, then, we have an environment of stagnant earnings, low growth, and rising prices – text book stagflation. Until the numbers change the economy, especially the deficit, will be the number-one problem.

Source: Pakistan Today February 28, 2019 13:52 UTC