IMF review mission: No further energy tariff hikes or new tax burdens urged

Mian Zahid Hussain, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum & All Karachi Industrial Alliance, Chairman National Business Group Pakistan and Chairman Policy Advisory Board FPCCI, has said that while the domestic economy is showing signs of a genuine turnaround, the ongoing IMF review mission must not result in further energy tariff hikes or tax burdens that could push the struggling export sector into a total collapse. He acknowledged the positive macroeconomic indicators, noting that Large-Scale Manufacturing (LSM) has posted a solid 5 percent growth in the first half of FY26. He highlighted the remarkable 67.2 percent surge in automobile production and an 11.6 percent rebound in cement, signaling strong domestic demand.