That Pakistan’s salvation lies in actual groundwork as opposed to promises and promises followed by some more promises makes sense to everyone but those basking at the upper echelons of the country. The disturbing intensity with which the weekly inflation (over 40 per cent) is hitting the masses where it hurts is a clear omen of the times remaining just as dire. There’s no denying the sufferings of the salaried class as it is busy with lifestyle adjustments; clutching the fragile drawstrings closer. However, just as worrisome has been the erosion of the paying capacity of the employers. How can the market return to equilibrium when businesses all over are facing existential crises? Bearish stock exchanges have become a norm and political polarisation stands as the biggest stumbling block in the path of all those who dare think about the bigger picture. On Monday, stocks fell over 400 points yet traders could do nothing but look towards the skies for some divine intervention. Fears of failure at the IMF and backbreaking pressure on the rupee have spiralled into a full-blown panic situation. But instead of questioning the ruling elite about the country’s balance-of-payment troubles, our spotlight remains fixated on who would win the political tug-of-war. When would the honourable finance minister unveil a fool-proof blueprint to convince us that the status quo won’t be the same for much longer; that there would some light at the end of this tunnel? The editorial pages have been beating the same drum to anyone who would listen: “It’s the economy.” We cannot keep fighting the small battles when the kitchen is on fire. What good would power in a defunct country be? A recent survey noted that more than four in every 10 have found it difficult to afford food. The chronic sense of instability cannot be allowed to go on. Faring worse than all our neighbours except war-torn Afghanistan, Pakistan urgently needs to snap out of its domestic polarisation to focus on the precarious freefall. *