Pakistan Emerges as One of Top Global Stock Market Performers, Finance Report Reveals

The Ministry of Finance has released Pakistan’s Economic Outlook for the first half of the current fiscal year, highlighting signs of sustained macroeconomic stability. The report notes that the rapid inflationary pressures have been contained, and large-scale manufacturing has stabilized, driven by a stable exchange rate and disciplined fiscal policies, which have supported economic growth. A rise in the primary surplus is also reported, with expectations that this positive trend will continue in the second half of the fiscal year.

Remittances from overseas Pakistanis are described as a strong contributor to an improved external account, while Pakistan’s performance in global stock markets reflects growing investor confidence. Investment activity is gaining momentum, economic governance has strengthened, and private sector productivity is improving across the country.

In the agriculture sector, the report records 1 percent growth, accompanied by a sharp decline in imports of agricultural commodities from 13 percent to 0.7 percent, signaling better domestic management. Within the sector, mixed results were observed: cotton output fell by 1.2 percent, fodder production declined by 14.4 percent, and fertilizer production dropped by 13 percent, while livestock output grew by 6.3 percent, and forestry and fisheries increased by 2.1 percent.

Bank lending in Pakistan rose to Rs1,412 billion from July to December, compared to Rs1,267 billion during the same period last year. Imports of agricultural machinery increased by 21.6 percent, and large-scale industrial growth reached 6 percent. Overall, aggregate production improved from 1.3 percent to 1.8 percent year-on-year, reflecting an upward trend in Pakistan’s economic activity and production capacity.