Daily Times

Many politicians trace the nation’s history by reminding others how some other politicians developed their political careers. Sh Rashid of Pindi Fame, better known as ‘Son of Pindi’ never tires of pointing out which politician was nurtured and grew up in which nursery. The opposing politicians give their reasons to justify various acts their favourite leaders committed in the past. The result is neither here nor there. Let’s put an end to it by following what Eckhart Tolle advised in his book – The Power of Now.

Now it is that matters but a lot of politicians and educated citizens may opt to contest the idea of ignoring the past. They would argue how we could progress without keeping the past in view when planning for the future. They may have their perspective but, at the same time, what have we so far gained by recalling the history from 1947 onwards?

These decades are full of ‘ifs and buts’. It’s frequently mentioned, for instance, that had the Father of the Nation not passed away soon after the partition, the political situation in the country would’ve been entirely different. Had the adventurers in uniform not taken over and ruled for decades, the uninterrupted democratic process would have helped develop the country to prevent it from the economic collapse of Sri Lanka style, as some experts envisage.

Look at the way how Singapore progressed from a third-world country to a member of the club of first-world countries.

It’s easy to find refuge in flawed political decisions of the past and apportion blame on those responsible for such decisions. Were the perpetrators of these decisions held accountable? No. However, the best choice is to forget the past as Mr Tolle advises in his book and make a new beginning at the national level.

In the greater national interest, new plans based on the existing political and financial situation of the country must be made and executed without caring for the vested interests of various political parties. For example, the government recently announced to privatise operations of three national airports in the country. This decision should have been taken much earlier to avoid the chaos and confusion the air travellers face in the over-staffed airports. The privatisation of the PIA itself must follow next. The organisation mainly serves to accommodate retired but well-connected influential men from other services. To beat it, the airline has one of the highest ratios of men (about 800) per plane in the world; Turkish Airlines has the lowest ratio – less than 100 men per plane.

Instead of dumping the SMEs as planned earlier by this government, more funds have been allocated for them in the recent budget to keep the loss-makers going. Non-productive jobs are no jobs. The classic example of a loss-maker, an elephant among them, is the Pakistan Steel Mills. It has been out of commission since 2015 but hapless taxpayers’ pockets are regularly picked to pay the salaries of the PSM employees. Let’s follow the philosophy behind the ‘power of now’ to make a new beginning by ignoring the erroneous decisions of the past. The PSM deserves the most to face the sword of privatisation.

It’s time for the intelligentsia and thinking citizens of the society who attach their future to this country, to demand the government take stringent measures to lead the country to progress. As stated by a financial expert, about 2.5 million young educated boys and girls will be out in the job market seeking jobs. More worrying is the discussion in the parliament when one of the members pointed out that 10 million people live below the poverty line. It’s painful to observe how the government ignores the huge size of the bureaucracy, its perks and privileges and, of course, its security protocols on the roads. One is astounded at how public taxes are flaunted on the movements of ‘local sahibs’ of the Gora style. Senior Sahibs get a fleet of expensive cars, free fuel, gas and electricity. Reportedly, NEPRA approved a raise per unit of electricity thus ordinary consumers will bear the burden of Rs.15 billion in their June bills. The privileged would remain freeloaders, as always.

Moreover, bureaucrats in high ranks get an extension in service or they are re-employed in jobs of equally high status while the younger generation runs from pillar to post for jobs to survive. To propel the country from its poor third-world status to a progressive nation, Singapore is an example to follow. Look at the way how it progressed from a third-world country a few years ago to joining the club of first-world countries. And ‘power of now’ is the secret.

The writer is a Lahore-based columnist and can be reached at pinecity @gmail.com