More show than substance

On March 18, the federal government took several measures to reduce the cost of foreign trips, instructing officials to opt for cost-effective alternatives, such as teleconferencing. Moreover, conferences that can be handled by Pakistan missions abroad should be identified, and proper intimation should be sent to the concerned missions. According to analysts, such austerity measures “appear to be more about show than actual substance” in the face of “a troubling lack of commitment to governance and fiscal responsibility”. To reduce expenses, Pakistan has also informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff that it will start implementing the Pension Reforms plan in FY25. However, it has reportedly been indicated to the Fund that implementation of the plan may face hiccups. A sum of Rs801 billion was budgeted in the current fiscal year for pensions — including Rs563bn for personnel of armed forces.