Pakistan’s policymakers are grappling with a difficult trilemma: rising spending needs, an escalating debt burden, and shrinking fiscal space for government expenditures. To tack-le this, though leaders should:

• Strengthen the role of parliament in fiscal decision-making to promote              accountability and responsible governance, ensuring that economic policies     re-flect national priorities and long-term stability.
• Encourage a unified, strategic approach to economic reform, involving all          relevant sectors and stakeholders to achieve sustainable development.
• Increase the tax base by bringing more sectors into the tax net. This will improve revenue generation and reduce reliance on external borrowing.
• Focus on export-driven growth as a sustainable path forward, focusing on         diversification in key sectors such as IT, healthcare, and legal services to          increase Pakistan’s global competitiveness.
• Ensure budget discipline by maintaining a primary surplus, reducing the need for additional debt, and fostering fiscal resilience.
• Prioritise investments within Pakistan to stimulate growth. Focus on generating resources domestically and expanding export capabilities to reduce dependency on foreign funding.
• Apply insights from climate justice frameworks to develop equitable debt        management strategies that prioritise social and economic fairness.
• Establish a clear and robust Debt Management Architecture, incorporating        in-novative tools to enhance debt sustainability and transparency.
• Focus on allocating borrowed funds toward projects that yield economic returns and promote sustainable growth.
• In cases of Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitation (FRDL) Act violations, the Parliament should hold relevant officials accountable.
• Invest in capacity-building programmes for parliamentarians and their staff, equip-ping them with the skills to make informed decisions on fiscal and         debt-related issues.