Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday claimed that the gross domestic product (GDP) grew at a rate of 5.8 percent over the past year, narrowly missing the government’s target of at least 6pc. Ahsan, along with Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance Miftah Ismail, was addressing a press conference to unveil the Economic Survey for the fiscal year 2017-18 (FY17-18). Pakistan has achieved the highest growth rate in the past thirteen years, said the minister. He further said that the 6.1pc GDP growth rate would have achieved without political instability. Miftah said that the average inflation in the fiscal year was contained at 3.78pc, lower than the 4.01pc observed during the same time period last year. The Economic Survey 2017-18 also incorporates the latest figures incurred in the war against terror. Pakistan’s total losses after becoming part of the war might have crossed the $125 billion mark in the last 17 years as it stood at $123.13 billion till 2016-17.