Debt grows moderately to Rs76 trillion

The total debt of Pakistan stood at Rs76.01 trillion at the end of March this year, with domestic debt at Rs51.52tr and external debt at Rs24.49tr, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25 released on Monday. Growth in public debt was 6.7 per cent, which was lower as compared to the growth of 7.4pc in the same period of the preceding year, mainly due to increased primary surplus. Moreover, total markup expenditure during 9MFY25 amounted to Rs6.44tr, representing 66pc of the full-year budget estimate of Rs9.78tr. The majority of this expenditure was on domestic debt, which accounted for Rs5.78bn or 66pc of the annual allocation of Rs8.74tr, whereas interest payments on external debt reached Rs656bn, equivalent to 63pc of the budgeted Rs1.04tr.