--- title: "Finance Ministry rejects Rs20b daily debt claim, cites lower debt-to-GDP ratio" description: "Most outlets led with the Finance Ministry’s rejection of the Rs20 billion daily debt increase claim, emphasizing its argument that the debt-to-GDP ratio has declined. Several also noted the specific reduction from 75% at the end of FY23 to 68% by the end of FY26. While some, like The Nation and Profit, added additional context such as reduced repayment costs and external financial buffers, others like 24 News HD and Minute Mirror focused more narrowly on the disputed claim and the ministry’s rebuttal. The framing remained largely consistent in highlighting the ministry’s clarification without introducing alternative interpretations." url: https://harzaviya.com/stories/15314-finance-ministry-rejects-claim-of-rs20-billion-daily site: HarZaviya language: en --- # Finance Ministry rejects Rs20b daily debt claim, cites lower debt-to-GDP ratio business · updated 20 Oct 2026, 7:53 AM PKT · 19–20 Oct 2026 · 6 articles from 6 outlets **HarZaviya summary** — how 6 outlets covered this, generated automatically from their headlines and excerpts: > Most outlets led with the Finance Ministry’s rejection of the Rs20 billion daily debt increase claim, emphasizing its argument that the debt-to-GDP ratio has declined. Several also noted the specific reduction from 75% at the end of FY23 to 68% by the end of FY26. While some, like The Nation and Profit, added additional context such as reduced repayment costs and external financial buffers, others like 24 News HD and Minute Mirror focused more narrowly on the disputed claim and the ministry’s rebuttal. The framing remained largely consistent in highlighting the ministry’s clarification without introducing alternative interpretations. ## Same story from 6 outlets Each outlet's own headline, most recent first — read any at its source. - **Profit** — [Pakistan's debt-to-GDP ratio falls to 68% as Finance Ministry disputes Rs20 billion daily borrowing interpretation](https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/10/20/pakistans-debt-to-gdp-ratio-falls-to-68percent-as-finance-ministry-disputes-rs20-billion-daily-borrowing-interpretation) · 20 Oct 2026, 7:53 AM PKT > Ministry says debt growth slowed to 7.7% in FY26, central government debt declined Rs689 billion since June and debt-servicing costs fell to an estimated Rs6.9 trillion - **The Nation** — [Govt debt fell from 75pc of GDP at end-FY23 to 68pc by end-FY26: Finance Division](https://www.nation.com.pk/20-Oct-2026/govt-debt-fell-75pc-gdp-end-fy23-68pc-end-fy26-finance-division) · 20 Oct 2026, 1:37 AM PKT · 80% identical wording to the newest filing > ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s debt growth has slowed sharply, debt burden relative to GDP has declined, repayment costs have reduced, and external financial buffers have strengthened, said Finance Division. - **Associated Press of Pakistan** — [Debt-to-GDP ratio falls to 68%: Ministry clarifies](https://www.app.com.pk/business/debt-to-gdp-ratio-falls-to-68-ministry-clarifies/) · 19 Oct 2026, 11:32 PM PKT · 83% identical wording to the newest filing > The Ministry of Finance on Monday rejected a report appearing in a section of media, clarifying that Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP has declined over the past few years, falling from 75% at the end of fiscal year 2023 to 68% by end of fiscal year 2026, reflecting prudent fiscal management and improving debt dynamics. - **ARY News (English)** — [Finance Ministry rejects claim of Rs20 billion daily increase in government debt](https://arynews.tv/finance-ministry-rejects-claim-of-rs20-billion-daily-increase-in-government-debt) · 19 Oct 2026, 11:17 PM PKT · 70% identical wording to the newest filing > In its clarification, the ministry said government debt should be assessed in relation to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) rather - **Minute Mirror** — [Finance Ministry rejects Rs20 billion daily debt ...](https://minutemirror.com.pk/finance-ministry-rejects-rs20-billion-daily-debt-claim-says-debt-to-gdp-ratio-fell-to-68-647636/) · 19 Oct 2026, 10:02 PM PKT · 71% identical wording to the newest filing > The Ministry of Finance has rejected claims that government debt increased by Rs20 billion per day under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, - **24 News HD** — [Finance ministry rejects Rs20b daily debt claim, cites decline in debt-to-GDP ratio](https://www.24newshd.tv/19-Oct-2026/finance-ministry-rejects-rs20b-daily-debt-claim-cites-decline-debt-to-gdp-ratio) · 19 Oct 2026, 9:47 PM PKT · 81% identical wording to the newest filing > The Ministry of Finance has rejected reports claiming that government debt is increasing by Rs20 billion daily, saying the calculation does not present a complete or accurate picture of Pakistan's public debt. ## Part of a bigger story Other stories whose coverage resembles this one, nearest first. "% related" compares whole stories, not single articles — see [what the percentages mean](https://harzaviya.com/methodology). - [Pakistan’s fiscal deficit drops to 2.6% of GDP in FY2025-26](https://harzaviya.com/stories/2982-pakistan-s-debt-growth-slows-to-7-7-lowest-in-two-decades) · 14 Aug 2026 · 8 outlets · 3 developments · 81% related - [Pakistan's federal government debt increases by Rs18.14 trillion over two-and-a-half years](https://harzaviya.com/stories/15281-pakistan-s-debt-rises-by-rs18-1-trillion-under-s) · 19 Oct 2026 · 2 outlets · 80% related - [Pakistan's public debt rises to Rs86.72 trillion by June 2026](https://harzaviya.com/stories/11655-total-public-debt-mounts-to-rs86-715b-by-june) · 1 Oct 2026 · 5 outlets · 2 developments · 79% related - [Pakistan’s public debt rises 340% in a decade to Rs86.7 trillion](https://harzaviya.com/stories/12343-rising-public-debt) · 5 Oct 2026 · 5 outlets · 77% related - [Pakistan’s Federal Government Debt Reaches Near-Record High in June 2026](https://harzaviya.com/stories/2925-pakistan-s-total-debt-burden-nears-record-rs84-trillion) · 12 Aug 2026 · 3 outlets · 77% related 6 articles from 6 outlets, 19–20 Oct 2026. 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