ISLAMABAD, Feb. 7 -- Debt servicing in Pakistan continued to outstrip spending on defence and development during the first half of the current fiscal year (July-December CFY26), raising concerns over fiscal pressures under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, The News reported on Saturday.

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According to data released by the Ministry of Finance, interest payments on public debt reached Rs3,563 billion, more than twice the combined allocations for defence (Rs1,044 billion) and the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which stood at Rs238 billion.

The fiscal report also revealed a statistical discrepancy of Rs413.3 billion in the first half, slightly lower than Rs...