By: Aamir Mumtaz

To the Leadership of Pakistan,

I am writing to you as an ordinary Pakistani to highlight the poor state of the economy and governance in Pakistan.   I write to you not as a critic, but as a concerned Pakistani—one who has invested personal effort, as in my voluntary role to revive Pakistan Steel, toward our nation’s economic revival. I write on behalf of millions of ordinary citizens who experience daily the consequences of our national underperformance. While we acknowledge measurable progress in foreign relations and security management, the economy remains our collective Achilles’ heel. The facts are stark: low per capita income, debt trap, stagnant exports, deindustrialization, unemployment, power sector crisis, low investment, corruption, and persistent governance challenges – all locked in an unbreakable cycle of IMF programs, with no clear path to economic sovereignty. Despite intermittent improvements, these gains are vastly insufficient relative, to the transformation Pakistan requires.

A pressing question remains: Why have decades-old structural issues—low exports, a narrow tax base, recurring balance of payments crises, and sluggish growth—persisted and even worsened? The answer, in my view, lies in leadership.

For genuine economic transformation, leadership must embody three qualities:

1. The WILL to see it through
2. Clarity on WHAT must be done?
3. Expertise in HOW to do it?

Historically and even now, these criteria have not been fully met, resulting in cycles of crisis and short-term fixes. The people of Pakistan now seek—and deserve—a break from this pattern.

You hold unique positions of authority and responsibility. The nation’s trust is vested in your ability to deliver not promises, but outcomes: a growing economy, good governance, and a hopeful future.

This is not a moment for excuses or blame. It is a moment for action. The people are weary of explanations; they need results. The choices before you are clear: deliver the change Pakistan urgently needs, or concede that the task requires different hands.

Yours faithfully in service to Pakistan,

Aamir Mumtaz

Former Chairman of Board, Pakistan Steel Mills
Founder, c4rpk.org