- The situation in Pakistan is concerning, with the government facing both economic and political crises. The country is in danger of defaulting on its debt, and an IMF bailout program has stalled since November last year. Additionally, there is a political battle between the government and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. In response to the rise in attacks on security forces by the Pakistan Taliban, the government has announced plans to launch an all-out comprehensive operation to root out armed groups in the country. The last time a similar operation was launched in 2014, it cost the country billions of dollars and resulted in displacement and loss of life. The National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by the country’s military leadership, held a meeting on Friday and formed a committee to make recommendations regarding the details of the anti-militant operations within two weeks. Former Prime Minister Khan has been pushing for elections amid rising anger at the government about high inflation and a crippling economic slowdown. He has warned that using security as a pretext to delay elections could pit the military against the judiciary. The political crisis has already severely affected economic decision-making, with the finance minister canceling his visit to Washington to attend meetings of the IMF and World Bank citing domestic political turmoil as a reason. Overall, the situation in Pakistan is fragile, and it remains to be seen how the government’s plans to root out armed groups will play out and what impact the ongoing political crisis will have on the country’s economic future.
