‘Hybrid model’ keeps politicians on right track, says Arif Habib

Prominent industrialist Arif Habib expressed on Saturday his full support for the “hybrid system” of governance to keep politicians on the “right track”. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Habib Public School Alumni Association (HPSAA), the chairman of one of the largest Pakistani conglomerates with substantial stakes in over a dozen sectors of the economy said the military establishment shouldn’t stay neutral when it comes to economic matters. “The hybrid model is practical. Heads of friendly states meet the army chief [instead of elected leaders]. This model may not be desirable, but it works,” he said while highlighting many instances from the recent past when direct intervention from the military chief helped the country secure bailouts and economic concessions from global institutions and friendly nations. Welcoming the formation of the military-backed Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a body set up to attract investment from Gulf nations, Mr Habib said the foreign exchange inflow to mining, agriculture, information technology (IT) and construction can be a game changer for the economy.