Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that a strong economy is essential for a strong defence, warning that a country cannot sustain itself through increasing debt and taxation alone, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.
Speaking about the country's economic challenges, Abbasi said that when the economy became weak, national defence also suffered.
He criticized the government's reliance on borrowing and said additional taxes were being imposed on the public to meet interest payments on loans.
He stressed the need to study the budget structures and economic models of other countries to adopt better policies and improve Pakistan's economic performance.
The former premier said Pakistan's public debt had reached around Rs85 trillion and was expected to increase by another Rs7.2 trillion during the current fiscal year.
He argued that the government lacked the capacity to meet its expenditures through its own resources and was increasingly depending on loans and taxes to bridge the gap.
Abbasi said it was Parliament's responsibility to put the country on the right track, adding that this could only be achieved through the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution.
He also criticized the country's political culture, saying that branding political opponents as thieves and sending them to jail would not solve national problems.
According to him, political stability and democratic norms are necessary for long-term economic progress.
Referring to China's economic development, Abbasi noted that the country had lifted nearly one billion people out of poverty through sustained reforms and economic planning.
However, he added that even China continues to focus on reforms to maintain growth and improve governance.
The former prime minister described the government's budget as lacking direction and substance, arguing that the current economic policies were unlikely to deliver sustainable growth or provide lasting relief to the people.