Fauji Foundation is part of Pakistan’s broader military–corporate complex, where armed forces control significant economic assets to extend influence beyond defence and into the economy.
Some of the major companies that have left Pakistan in recent years include Shell, Pfizer Pakistan, TotalEnergies, Telenor ASA, Careem, Eli Lilly, and Viatris.
Pakistan’s economy is largely powered by micro and small enterprises. Out of approximately 72 lakh business establishments, 95 per cent employ fewer than 10 people.
Jawwad Rehman, Microsoft’s former country head in Pakistan, sees the company’s exit as a reflection of a deteriorating environment for foreign businesses.
A sectoral note by the US credit rating agency says continued tensions may hinder Pakistan's access to foreign funds, putting pressure on its ability to meet external debt payment needs.
Pakistani economists have welcomed the government's decision to fully open the economy to foreign competition by reducing average import tariffs to 7.1% over five years.
36 serving military officers are part of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a federal body for economic reforms. These officers draw their salaries from defense budget.
Ikramul Haq, a visiting senior fellow at a think tank, said that the plan’s limited grounding in Pakistan’s existing economic and political landscape risks rendering it another unfulfilled promise.
The countries signed a memorandum for co-development of UNICORN masts in November 2024. India has been second Asian nation to have such an agreement with Tokyo, after Philippines.
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