What economic challenges await Pakistan's new 'Captain' Imran Khan?

Over the longer term, authorities will need to find ways to boost exports to improve the current-account balance

A new government under Pakistan’s incoming leader Imran Khan will need to move quickly to tackle a brewing economic crisis.

The former cricket star’s party claimed victory in Wednesday’s election after preliminary results showed it was shy of the 136 seats needed to form the government. Khan, in a televised address Thursday, said he will focus on improving the lives of the poor and fighting corruption that has repelled investments.

One of the first challenges he’ll need to tackle is easing a foreign-reserves crunch. The nation’s buffers have been steadily dwindling as a result of surging imports and debt, forcing the central