Pakistan, July 30 -- Pakistan's economy has long resembled a wagon pulled in opposing directions, with each change in leadership offering fresh drivers but no clarity of destination. Over decades, the economic narrative has oscillated between apparent stability and looming collapse, often shaped more by politics than policy. Among those who have recently influenced this storyline, two finance ministers stand out - Ishaq Dar and Miftah Ismail - representing divergent schools of economic thought.

Ishaq Dar is often credited with bringing short-term macroeconomic stability during his tenure from 2013 to 2017. At the time, Pakistan was reeling from an energy crisis, terrorism-related disruptions, and depleted foreign reserves. Dar's policies...