The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Friday rejected the latest economic data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), accusing the federal government of misleading both the public and international financial institutions with what it termed “absurd and unreliable figures,” Dawn reported.
During a Ministry of Commerce briefing on tariff matters, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan raised serious doubts over the credibility of official data that shapes national economic policies.
Highlighting what he called “glaring inconsistencies” in agricultural statistics, Ayub sarcastically remarked,
“When the PBS reports a rise in donkey populations but shows no increase in mules, it reveals the absurdity of the data shaping our national economic framework.”
Ayub pointed out that 64% of agricultural data comes from livestock figures, a factor he believes severely skews sectoral analysis and misguides economic planning.
He compared the country’s economic progress to “driving at 20 km/h on a motorway,” stating that Pakistan is falling behind competitors who rely on real-time, accurate economic analytics, while the government clings to outdated and obsolete data-gathering methods.
The opposition leader further alleged that officials privately conceded that the tariff systems operated more effectively under PTI’s rule, indirectly admitting the decline in current policy effectiveness.
PTI’s Proposed Reforms:
- Immediate overhaul of PBS data collection methods
- Introduction of AI-driven analytics and digitisation
- Independent third-party audits of national economic data
- Creation of open-data platforms for public scrutiny
- Inclusion of exporters, manufacturers, and stakeholders in tariff-setting discussions
Ayub warned that Pakistan’s trade competitiveness is weakening amid arbitrary policies and stagnating exports, noting that global lenders like the World Bank stress the need for accurate, credible data to boost foreign investor confidence.
“A 21st-century economy cannot run on 20th-century statistics,” Ayub concluded, pressing the government to prioritise transparency and evidence-based policymaking.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, PTI leaders visited the Iranian Embassy in Islamabad to express solidarity amid Iran’s conflict with Israel. Omar Ayub condemned Israeli actions and warned that the escalating situation could significantly disrupt global oil supplies, adding further strain to Pakistan’s already fragile economy.