It is a sad reality that the current government in Islamabad inherited an economy in literal shambles which required loads of time and effort to rectify the maladies and thereby put it on the right path. Therefore, it took nearly two years to grapple with the challenging situation and stabilize the economy through some drastic measures taken to improve the tax collection system as well as introducing macroeconomic reforms. The economy had started showing positive results before the deadly pandemic struck. It severely hit the economies across the globe. Even the developed countries were seen groaning under its crippling impacts. Pakistan was no exception and its economy already being fragile was at greater risks. However, the government, undeterred by the unprecedented challenges posed by the onset of the virus, kept its cool and rose to the occasion on war footing. The Prime Minister, who was fully aware of the situation of the economy and the likely impacts on the vulnerable sections of the society by a complete shut down as resorted to by many other countries, stuck to his view that Pakistan could not afford to implement the strategy adopted by other countries. The country opted for a policy of smart lockdowns. The aim was to create a balance between saving lives and keeping the economy going to save the poorer sections of the society and the daily wage-earners. Based on the positive trends in macroeconomic numbers, World Bank has forecasted 1.5 % GDP growth in current FY 2020-21, Asian Development Bank around 2.5 % and State Bank of Pakistan has projected it to be around 3.0 %. Despite the counter claims by the doomsayers, Pakistan’s key economic indicators have started to show that the incumbent government’s policies are fueling growth, with expansion witnessed in remittances and foreign direct investment and the primary balance in surplus. Pakistan’s economy witnessed positive signs during first three quarters of the ongoing fiscal year 2020-21 (FY20-21) as remittances grew 26.5%, foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 9.1%, tax collection went up 10%, and the primary balance has been in a surplus worth Rs258 billion. According to official sources, the PTI government’s “prudent and timely policies” bolstered large-scale manufacturing (LSM), which registered a 4.8% growth, while the cement sector expanded 20% at 100% capacity utilization. A significant increase was also witnessed in sale of cars, motorbikes and tractors during July-March, 2020-21. The recent data complements the strengthening and expansion of the economy in a “recovery” phase amid the coronavirus pandemic. It is also evidenced by the fact that Moody’s upgraded Pakistan’s economic outlook to ‘Stable’ in August 2020. Pakistan has registered an upward trend in foreign remittances and FDI, indicating confidence in Pakistan’s economy. In fact, consumers are also 7% more confident about the overall economy and their personal finances than they were in mid-2020, according to a recent survey conducted. Despite the counter claims by the doomsayers, Pakistan’s key economic indicators have started to show that the incumbent government’s policies are fueling growth, with expansion witnessed in remittances and foreign direct investment and the primary balance in surplus The present government in Islamabad has been following a liberal foreign investment regime and has successfully introduced measures to promote Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the country, leading to an improvement in Pakistan’s ranking from 147 and 136 in 2018 and 2019, respectively, to 108 in 2020. There is no denying the fact that the government inherited a completely choked economy following the 2018 general elections and, therefore, had to introduce a strict financial discipline to curtail excessive government expenditure, bolster revenue, introduce market-driven exchange rate, remove large tax exemptions, and discourage imports. As a consequence, Pakistan has witnessed improvement in fiscal and current account deficits. The country has also recorded a primary balance surplus, which is unprecedented. All fundamental economic indicators reflected significant improvement before the coronavirus pandemic and the same positive vibes continue to go upwards despite the deadly Covid-19 Pandemic hitting the country hard in its third wave. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration introduced smart lockdown to contain the spread of the disease as the pandemic hit, ensuring that the economy remained functional. That, in turn, allowed many businesses to reopen or continue operations on a limited scale to downplay the adverse economic impacts. This hybrid model of saving lives and securing livelihoods really worked wonders for Pakistan and this unique intervention earned huge recognition as a success story worldwide. The government took several initiatives to facilitate agriculture and constructions sectors to accelerate economic recovery. PM Imran Khan had approved a Rs24-billion package to slash the input costs for farmers, whereas a relief package for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) shielded against insolvency and joblessness. The Rs144-billion Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program provided immediate cash relief worth Rs12,000 to 15 million families of daily wage-earners hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. In his virtual address to the World Economic Forum (WEF) on November 25, 2020 Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, said the PTI government “firmly supports private sector as an engine of growth and believes in building institutional capacity for sustainable and inclusive economic growth”. There was so much to be done for the weak and vulnerable in far less time. The government, without any loss of time, announced one-time cash assistance to vulnerable families. As per available details, the government so far has disbursed an amount of Rs.180 billion among 15 million families representing half of the country’s population with absolute transparency. People were asked to send SMS for the financial assistance and the details of the applicants were scrutinized through data analytics and different parameters to select the most eligible beneficiaries that made sure that no fraudulent claims were made like the ones in BISP. The strategy worked and won laurels for Pakistan across the globe. The ruling government gave the status of an industry to the construction sector and announced a package of multiple incentives for the investors in this sector. The construction industry is linked to almost 40 other industries including steel and cement which as envisaged has shown very positive results. The provision for loans for low-cost housing was another laudable step to supplement the initiative taken to revive the construction industry but also to enable poor people to build affordable houses, a dream come true case for the deprived and disadvantaged in Pakistan. Undoubtedly, agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and no real progress can truly be achieved or conceived without lifting its profile. It has a pivotal role in the overall development of the country. The Prime Minister has rightly acknowledged its vitality and thus approved a Rs.24 billion package to reduce input costs for farmers. Likewise, a relief package for Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) was also announced to shield against insolvency and joblessness. Thus, the country has surely been put in the right direction by virtue of the prudent economic policies adopted with a futuristic approach. However, there is a long way to go before we look to achieve the desired benchmarks of a stable economy. One cannot predict for sure as to what is in store for the world and Pakistan while the third wave of the pandemic turns out to be far more deadly and dreadful. No one knows with certainty as to how long it will persist shedding its disastrous effects on the global economy as well as on the developing countries including Pakistan. The days of beg, borrow or steal are long over. An era of trust, transparency and cleansing the mess has already set in. How far does it succeed in achieving its lofty goals only time will tell? Those who live will witness it happen! The writer is a civil servant by profession, a writer by choice and a motivational speaker by passion!