Missing in action

Apart from the bluster we saw in the first few days after he took control, we have heard little from Ishaq Dar even though the economy remains trapped in the throes of a storm of near Homeric proportions. Last month, prices continued to rise at a breakneck pace, draining household budgets at rates not seen in decades. It is becoming a real challenge for many just to put food on the table, not to mention that the daily commute seems to be becoming more expensive by the day, and the cost of keeping the lights on is pushing the masses to desperation. It is not just ordinary citizens who are feeling the heat. According to a recent survey, business confidence has fallen through the floor, with entrepreneurs increasingly pessimistic about the direction Pakistan is headed in. Two of every three businesses, according to the survey, say they are in trouble. The decimation of discretionary income by runaway inflation is evident in the fact that 81pc of cloth and garment shop owners have reported facing adversity. While factors like inflation, taxes, loadshedding and reduced spending by customers have been cited as challenges by business owners, the survey also points to the unprecedented uncertainty created by the ceaseless political turmoil in the country.