ISLAMABAD – COAS General Qamar Bajwa reveals reasons for difficult economicsituation of Pakistan.

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Friday said that fiscalmismanagement is the reason behind difficult economic situation Pakistan isfacing at present.

“We are going through difficult economic situation due to fiscalmismanagement. We have been shying of taking difficult decisions,” the armychief said while addressing a national seminar on ‘Pakistan’s Economy:Challenges and Way Forward’ organised by the Institute of StrategicStudies, Research and Analysis (ISSRA) at the National Defence University(NDU).

“Armed forces played their part by voluntarily foregoing annual increase indefence budget … and this is not the only step we are taking forimprovement of economy,” the army chief said. “We understand thatgovernment has gone for difficult but quintessential decisions forlong-term benefits and what we are doing is playing our part,” hecontinued. “We all need to fulfill our responsibilities in this regard sothat these difficult initiatives succeed,” he stressed. “There are examplesin recent past when other countries also confronted similar challenges andthey came out successfully after taking difficult decisions,” he observed.“We shall also wade through these challenges,” he hoped. “In difficulttimes, no individual alone can succeed unless nation comes togetherunitedly. It’s time to be a nation,” he maintained.

The army chief endorsed undeniable linkage between security and economy asboth directly complement each other. “There cannot be any sovereignty inthe absence of economic sovereignty,” he maintained. Gen Bajwa thanked theNDU for organising the seminar and panel and attendees for theirparticipation. He said that such types of interactions are important toenable both government and other stakeholders in exchanging their views onissues of national importance.