LAHORE: We must speak out loudly against the tide of negativity that has been washing over Pakistan’s economy for far too long.
That hurts not just a government, but our nation’s spirit, our collective future and our ability to attract investments we desperately need. When the facts show progress, why ignore them? We must criticise bad policies in the local media and suggest ways to improve them. We should not wash our dirty linen in countries that have aggressive designs against us.
According to the latest 2025 report by Transparency International, corruption in Pakistan has gone down a few notches, a rare but powerful affirmation from an institution known worldwide for its scrutiny. Yet, some bloggers and critics persist in accusing the government of ignoring a “massive increase in corruption”. Such accusations don’t just cloud the truth; they drown it. Similarly, global experts now acknowledge that inflation has fallen over the last 18 months. Food and vegetable prices are easing, even after devastating floods. The Pakistani rupee has remained stable since 2023. Foreign exchange reserves are slowly rising. And with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approving a $1.29 billion loan disbursement, confidence in our economic policies is being reinforced internationally.
Yet despite these positive signals, ‘Pakistan-bashers’ continue to portray every gain as a looming disaster. They parrot fears of collapse, using alarmist headlines and half-truths. Some have even carried their narrative over to foreign-run media platforms -- particularly outlets in countries with historic hostility towards Pakistan.
But this negativity carries real consequences. Sensationalist, fear-driven reporting hurts investor confidence. Potential foreign investors read those headlines -- and see risk, not opportunity. Market sentiment suffers. Our ability to raise capital, to attract new ventures, to create jobs -- everything slows down. For a country that needs sustainable economic growth, every misplaced accusation becomes a stab in the back.
This country belongs to all of us including the critics. Governments may come and go, but Pakistan endures. The economy is not the property of any single party or leadership; it belongs to every citizen. And if our critics truly love this country, they should understand that the narratives they push have power. That power can build hope -- or destroy it. Right now, it’s being used irresponsibly.
We must demand an end to the bashing. We must call on our media, our bloggers, our commentators to stop presenting fear as fact, stop magnifying every challenge into a national crisis, and stop feeding foreign outlets a narrative of constant collapse. And we must ask of our fellow citizens to think before they share anything that could hurt market sentiments. Consider the impact on real people, on real investments, on real futures.
Let’s recognise and appreciate our progress where it exists. Let’s give our economy a fighting chance, not by ignoring its problems, but by refusing to amplify them for the sake of sensationalism. The Pakistan we build together deserves nothing less. It is time to stand behind our progress.
