Pakistan, March 7 -- Pakistan's economy today is a study in stark contrasts. Promises of reform and economic turnaround are heralded from the corridors of power, yet the masses face a relentless battle day in and day out. Just earlier this week, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif lauded his cabinet for steering the nation out of dire financial straits-a claim that rings with hope in a country where inflation has now dropped to its lowest levels in nearly a decade. But for millions of Pakistanis, these reassurances do little to ease the daily hardships of a life marked by the struggle to afford basic necessities. After all, a decline in inflation does not mean prices are falling, it simply means they are rising at a slower pace.

Ironically, ac...