The recent spate of attacks on foreign fast-food chains across Pakistan has once again exposed a glaring vulnerability in the country’s investment climate: the state’s failure to uphold law and order consistently. While Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has assured foreign investors that their assets will be “secured at all costs,” such promises ring hollow in the aftermath of fatal violence, widespread vandalism, and preventable business disruption.
These assurances came after mobs, allegedly incited by a religio-political party, targeted international fast-food franchises during protests over the situation in Gaza. In at least one case, a restaurant worker lost his life. What makes the situation even more alarming is that these attacks were not isolated incidents—they occurred repeatedly across several days. The state’s delayed and inadequate response raises serious questions about its capacity, or willingness, to protect both local and foreign business interests in times of social unrest.
Unfortunately, this episode is not an anomaly. Just weeks before, critical logistics routes in Sindh were blocked for ten days over a canal dispute the authorities had long neglected. The resulting gridlock halted local manufacturing, stranded millions of dollars’ worth of exports, and threatened fuel supplies upcountry. During this period, the government’s response was limited to passive observation. Similarly, Pakistan’s burgeoning IT sector was throttled last year due to arbitrary internet disruptions under various official pretexts, dealing another blow to investor confidence.
Such episodes of disruption are no longer surprising—they are expected. This “normalised unpredictability” is toxic for any investment environment. Investors require stability, rule of law, and clear governance. Instead, what they encounter in Pakistan is erratic policymaking, unchecked violence, and bureaucratic indifference, all underpinned by weak institutions and a deteriorating state writ.
It is baffling that while the government spends considerable resources courting foreign investment, it fails to address the foundational issues that consistently drive investors away. A few gestures of damage control after violence or policy blunders do not substitute for a robust, long-term commitment to governance reform and institutional integrity.
If Pakistan genuinely seeks sustainable economic growth and investor confidence, it must move beyond surface-level assurances. The rule of law must be upheld impartially. Political interests cannot be allowed to override public safety and economic stability. Investors must believe that their operations won’t be upended overnight due to negligence, mismanagement, or opportunistic violence.
Until the state begins addressing the root causes of instability—weak governance, politicisation of justice, and the erosion of institutional authority—its promises to investors will remain mere words in the wind
