As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government takes charge amid the worst economic downturn in Pakistan’s history, the future of an investment-starved country remains the biggest challenge for the foreseeable future.

For all practical purposes, Pakistan’s economy remains at a standstill, driven by lacklustre growth and easily overwhelmed by a host of challenges. In brief, the economy remains simply flat.

In this lacklustre environment, Pakistanis have for months debated the utility or not of pursuing investments led by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The council has been the proverbial talk of the town, formally bringing together Pakistan’s top civil and military leaders on a common platform.

And its principal focus remains embedded in providing agricultural land in central and southern Pakistan to prospective investors from the oil-rich Middle East. For the moment across Pakistan, a host of players have questioned the SIFC as a game changer to lift future prospects.

But few have stepped ahead to welcome the SIFC as an alternative to steer the country out of its immediate economic crisis.

As this debate continues, Pakistan is urgently in need of a long-term plan to carry the country away from recurring economic crises.

Given Pakistan’s history, meeting the challenge will........

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