Former chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue Shabbar Zaidi has said that the upcoming government will not have the right to create an economic policy.

“They [political governments] have long lost the right as it went to the International Monetary Fund and the establishment by default. Other than policy, the upcoming government will not have the right to [policy] enforcement,” he said.

According to him, the upcoming government will only work in the health and education sector. “[COAS] General Asim Munir has already put the nation on this route.”

For Zaidi, the presumption that political instability is the reason for Pakistan’s economic vows was wrong.

“The political governments’ have never worked to stabilise the economy. It does not mean that there should not be a political government. However, Pakistan cannot afford the provision of an open field to the political governments,” he said.

Economist Mirza Ikhtiar Baig agreed with Zaidi on the point that political parties never prioritised the economy.

“Because of this, the country’s economy was on a downward spiral to the extent that the military leadership’s role became essential in it,” he said.

For Baig, civilian government and military leadership will now work together, “The first test was the collaboration for getting Pakistan out of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.”

PML-N Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh said that political parties in the past did not insist on bringing reforms to the economy of the country.

“There was a need for parties to elect those professionals and experts who could give better advice. The political parties could not deliver the desired results and we are witnessing the repercussions of it,” he added.

On civilian and military cooperation on the economy, he said that parties will have to realise the need for working together with the military leadership to alleviate the issues on the economic front.