Daily Times

The prime minister (PM) sits at the head of a government that is economically almost bankrupt, law and order is non-existent, insurgents rock the country almost daily with bombs, target killings are the order of the day, sectarian violence rages, corruption is unchecked, tax evasion is condoned, power shortages have crippled the people and industry, lack of education has turned the country into a society of illiterates and Balochistan’s problems have not been solved by the last elections.

Each one of these has become a grave and urgent issue as most of them were self-created as a result of self-serving policies of successive governments and either ignored or taken over by incoming rulers for their own benefit. Of course, Mian Nawaz Sharif’s two previous stints are also a contributory factor in this malaise.

Mian Sahib may have helped in giving the final orders for detonating our nuclear bomb but today he is sitting on nuclear bombs of grave issues whose fallout can be much more devastating. His team consists largely of the old guard loyalists, many of whom may have been responsible for the follies of the last two PML-N governments and many of whom do not provide the confidence in their abilities to tackle the issues at hand. For instance, the presentation of an unimaginative budget manifests a status quo approach and ‘more of the same’ policy. There are no bold steps, no path breaking policies to tackle the immense economic problems. The age-old policy of not rocking the boat and antagonising the powerful lobbies has brought the country to its present despair, but continuation of this policy can only lead to sinking the boat. Time is running out.

A honeymoon ‘in the time of cholera’ has already crossed a third of its 100-day period and except for a fiasco of a budget, nothing else has appeared as yet in terms of policies. On the other hand, the killing spree from Karachi to KP continues unabated and unchecked. Terrorists, mafia and sectarian scavengers have been given a free rein to operate in the length and breadth of the country. A major part of the internal violence has a lot to do with Afghanistan.

India and Pakistan are both jockeying for influence in post-2014 Afghanistan. Our concerns are that if India gains control, we would be squeezed between the massive Indian build-up on our eastern border and from the Afghan side too. In order to thwart India, we helped create the Taliban, installed them in Afghanistan, and groups like the Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were created to operate in Pakistan. The activities of these groups internally have caused sectarian violence and contributed to various social crimes and intolerance in the country. The military and the CIA had indoctrinated the Mujahideen during the Soviet occupation and imbibed them with dreams of establishing Islamic Republics throughout the region. Their frustration probably is the backlash in the form of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other such groups. We claim that India is engaged in some of the violence and disruption in Pakistan, while they accuse us of similar activities in India. Is it not time for the two countries to settle their differences, including those in Afghanistan? The benefits of a rapprochement are multifarious for both sides, but much greater for us. The high costs to our society and economy, the reduction of violence and tensions in the lives of our people and the resultant prosperity that would ensue are compelling reasons for pursuing peace with a vengeance. The last 65 years of rivalry have cost us dearly and cannot be sustained much longer. To insist on fighting at the risk of endangering one’s own existence is not wisdom. We should take guidance from Sulay Hudaiybiya. The PM’s pursuit of peace with India is a positive and farsighted move in which the military and the opposition must support and facilitate him. Peace promotes prosperity, while in our fragile state conflict endangers our nationhood.

Corruption has corroded all and sundry. Government departments, its various corporations and institutions, law enforcing agencies, private sector, politicians, you name it, corruption has become an industry. Then there are the land mafias headed by fraudsters and blackmailers, some of whom claim connections with almost all major politicians and in the military! They have the gall to accuse and abuse the judiciary and strut around as so-called benefactors, bribing and corrupting all and sundry. In many cases where the Supreme Court has given judgments, the investigative machinery is out to subvert and dilute their findings in favour of the accused. Mian Sahib, all this has to end if we want Pakistan to prosper. The rules of doing business must change. When we hear of embezzlement of billions in government organizations, the question comes to mind why should such powers be given to the CEOs of OGRA or EOBI and their boards that they can sell and purchase assets or merchandise of such huge amounts? Beyond a certain level the concerned minister and an external audit procedure must be involved. Government servants can only be suspended not dismissed. This must be changed in the case of corruption or other serious offences and the person dismissed after due process should have the right to seek redress in the courts. We are fighting for our life; in order to survive such steps become necessary. Servants of the people cannot be allowed to become accessories to money making rackets and adjuncts to politicians in power.

If we are to prioritise our tasks ahead, the first on the list would be elimination of violence and establishment of law and order. Anarchy is spreading fast and wide, human life has lost its value, extremists and gangsters go unchecked and the masses are victims of rape and plunder without recourse. In such conditions economic prosperity is impossible. In order to achieve any meaningful success, a complete reform and overhaul of the law-enforcing agencies, both federal and provincial, is an absolute must. One could consider turning the police into an independent autonomous body so that it is free from political influence and pressures.

The second most important and urgent task at hand is education. Our complete disregard and neglect of providing good quality education to all is the primary cause of backwardness in all spheres and the biggest reason for our economic failure. Ignorance is an ugly and painful monster: ugly as it breeds intolerance, extremism and lawlessness, and painful as it is we and our brethren who are affected. Here too complete reform is immediately needed so that gradually a process of improvements is established. We must study how other countries like China, India and Brazil have achieved success in educating their people and follow their models.

The issue of power shortage is the only one being tackled with speed and energy and was also a subject of MoUs signed with the Chinese. Besides this, a string of large infrastructural projects have been agreed in the PM’s China visit. Since details are not known it is not possible to comment on the financing arrangements and repayment terms. Once again the priorities are wrong. One wishes that these motorways and railways projects would be on the backburner for a couple of years and the government would give its full concentration to law and order, terrorism, corruption and education instead. These are monumental tasks that will consume a lot of the government’s energies and if successfully tackled they will help attract investors, both foreign and domestic, for large scale industrial projects. The country and the people must be prepared and readied to receive and attract investment. In the present state of affairs we cannot get more than a few pennies in our begging bowl.

Inept, corrupt, selfish and power hungry rulers of the past 60 years have brought the nation to its knees. There is absolutely no room for any further mistakes, any more adventures; each step must be measured, no grandiose schemes can be pursued. This government has an onerous responsibility on its shoulders as time is really running out.

The writer is a businessman and a former chairman of the National Textile Foundation. He can be reached at fsumar@cyber.net.pk