Economy cannot be run by force, it needs trust and cooperation: Bilawal Bhutto

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday said that a country’s economy cannot be run through coercive measures but requires trust, cooperation, and a business-friendly approach.

Addressing the business community in Lahore, Bilawal Bhutto said the PPP leadership was keen to learn from Punjab’s business community and welcomed positive suggestions from traders and industrialists.

He noted that history is often presented in a distorted manner and emphasized the constructive role of the business community in national development.

He said the business community plays a vital role in strengthening the national economy, adding that the PPP laid the foundation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Bilawal assured traders of full support in resolving their issues and said China was interested in introducing Pakistani products in its markets.

The PPP chairman reiterated that his party had created export opportunities during its tenure and would continue to play its role in resolving the problems faced by traders.

He expressed pride in Pakistan’s cooperation with China and said the prime minister was also committed to addressing business community concerns. He urged traders to focus on increasing exports and emphasized the need to expand the national tax base.

Bilawal alleged that the previous government attempted to run the economy through forceful measures, reiterating that such an approach could not deliver sustainable growth.

He called for transferring the responsibility of federal sales tax on goods to the provinces and said provinces were ready to meet revenue targets and contribute to federal finances.

He said resolving the country’s economic challenges was not the responsibility of a single province, adding that electricity-related issues were longstanding.

He acknowledged the efforts of the prime minister and his team towards achieving economic stability but highlighted differences over centralization and decentralization.

He also pointed to the development of the Khairpur Economic Zone as an example of successful provincial initiatives.

Bilawal further said that not all economic challenges could be blamed on the IMF, stressing the need to overcome hurdles in establishing economic zones through cooperation with the federal government.

He emphasized that public-private partnerships could expand businesses across provinces, strengthen the private sector, and help build a resilient and sustainable economy by effectively utilizing available resources.