Islamabad, Jan. 4 -- Pakistan's reported 3.7% economic growth for the first quarter of the current fiscal year has come under sharp scrutiny, with an independent think tank dismissing the figure as a paper-based outcome driven by flawed methodology rather than real economic expansion, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, in a critical brief, the Economic Policy and Business Development (EPBD) think tank argued that the growth approved by the National Accounts Committee (NAC) reflects "methodological artefacts, deflator manipulation and import-led assembly activity," instead of genuine gains in productive capacity.

The forum said the data presents an illusion of recovery while business activity, manufactu...