This refers to the letter ‘Utopian target?’ (October 2, 2023) by Hussain Siddiqui. The letter criticizes the caretaker federal minister for commerce and industries for setting an irrational target of $100 billion for Pakistani exports. Though the figure was later revised downwards to $80 billion, this is still just as ludicrous given that our exports have averaged around $30 billion over the past few years, as the letter notes.
One is amused at the intellectual bankruptcy of the concerned minister for not being aware of the economic realities. The country neither has surplus agricultural produce nor a surplus of manufactured goods that can be exported to achieve even half of the target visualized by the minister.
Arif Majeed
Karachi