‘Policies are heavily influenced by vested interests of military.’: World Bank warns Pakistan amid crisis

The World Bank has warned Pakistan’s upcoming government that it must make difficult policy decisions in order to address the country’s economic hardships. The bank cited issues such as inflation, rising electricity prices, climate shocks, and insufficient public resources. It also highlighted the country’s human capital crisis, including high child stunting rates and low learning outcomes. The World Bank proposed shifting policies towards coordinated and efficient service delivery, prioritized spending on public services and infrastructure, and investments in climate adaptation. Pakistan’s average real per capita growth rate between 2000 and 2020 was less than half the average of comparator countries.