In this continued tug of war of power among the political parties, individuals and the establishment, the possibility of a breakthrough in the prevalent political climate has only diminished rapidly and it is now becoming clear that in the end, there will be no clear winner. Pakistan, a country with an abundance of untapped potential could soon become a failed state unless the lust for power is curbed and the political elite and other powers realise that their actions have long-lasting consequences on us as a nation.
According to a report by the World Bank, over the past two decades Pakistan’s economic growth has remained “volatile and slow.” Despite massive reserves of natural resources, Pakistan has not been able to reach its full economic potential which can only be credited to an unstable political climate, bad polices as a state , involvement in war on terror and all this again comes back to the power agendas of our establishment and political parties.
The recent flooding has only aggravated the problem of our economic instability as it destroyed over 9.4 acres of cultivated land. This fact, coupled with the harsh impact on infrastructure will severely impact the Gross Domestic Product as Pakistan is an agricultural based economy. The flooding has displaced over 23 million people, and yet, the main focus of our leaders seem to remain set on petty political gains.
Pakistan relies heavily on imports for its food items as well as energy needs, and these have increased as a result of the ongoing domestic crisis. Domestic industries are at risk of shutting down. The fact that we are living at a time where a global recession is taking place has not helped matters. Commodity prices have increased to an all-time high, leaving millions malnourished and without any hope of leading a dignified life as is the right of every citizen. This will also have a major impact on our Human Development Index, a major indicator of economic development
The current account has worsened and foreign reserves have dwindled as well. In fact, according to The Economist, our reserves have decreased to more than half, just a little over $9 billion, which is roughly only six weeks of imports. The state of the Pakistani stock market is deplorable as well. Moreover, the incessant devaluation of the rupee against the dollar is only making matters worse. The inflation rate is at its peak as well, at 26.6% so common food items are beginning to feel like a luxury only available to a few rather than the masses. and Suffice to say, if things concerns are not addressed soon, Pakistan might be heading down the same path as Sri Lanka. Yet our leadership, whether it’s the PDM, PTI or the establishment, chooses to focus on personal interests rather than making sure that the country does not default.
Given recent events, it is safe to say that Pakistan has become a mere punchline to a joke as far as the rest of the world is concerned. The series of events that led us to become an object of mockery need to be dealt with skilfully rather than sweeping them under the rug. Starting with the cypher and regime change debacle as well as the no trust motions and the current situation, our leadership needs to take actual, concrete steps towards a political solution. Over the past few months, Pakistan has made international headlines on more than one occasion and it is rarely in a positive manner seeing as our political leadership has chosen to deflect on each other rather than coming up with an actual solution.
Pakistan, being a nuclear state has always been under scrutiny and has been under a microscope by international players and linked with terrorism as it is. We have always been labelled as “volatile” and now the establishment, rather than taking steps to mend the tainted reputation has only managed to portray Pakistan in a negative light at the international stage.
Today, it is imperative that we present a united front to the rest of the world as well as a softer image. However, a softer image becomes difficult to put out when the country is wrapped in petty conflict. This only leaves Pakistan open for questions and criticism by foreign powers.
As mentioned above, Pakistan has been cursed with an unstable political climate for the past two decades. This has led to various problems such as party warfare, ineffective policymaking and implantation and an economy that ultimately suffers. Party conflicts and power-play have led to various policies of opposing parties being shelved, solely due to the fact that they did not come from the present party in power.
In the end, no matter how we spin the narrative, it is the Pakistani people who pay the price of the tug of war over power. No matter who emerges on top, whether it is the PDM, PTI or the establishment, or who goes down, it is the common man who suffers, and that is something that has been happening for decades. It is us who are failing us as a nation. However, we have the option to be better. Our leadership can choose to put their differences aside and to work towards a better Pakistan, one where the first priority is Pakistani itself, rather than any of our personal gains.
