PESHAWAR: Advisor to the Chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muzzammil Aslam, has expressed concerns over the federal government’s claims of economic improvement. Mr. Aslam stated that Pakistan has recorded its lowest electricity production in February 2025 since February 2020, post-COVID-19. Moreover, the country’s large-scale manufacturing (LSM) sector has seen a decline of 1.8% in the first seven months of the current fiscal year. Aslam further emphasized that the LSM sector experienced a negative growth of 1.2% in January alone. He warned that the newly introduced gas tariff for captive power units may lead to a further decline in the coming months, reflecting a decrease in demand, purchasing power, and export competitiveness. Mr. Aslam concluded that the economy is on the verge of stagnation, despite the government’s prediction of 3.1% growth for 2024-25. However, he expressed doubts about achieving even 1% growth in the next fiscal year due to negative growth in large-scale manufacturing and agriculture. DLP Report
