Sandwiched between the political uncertainty and the much-touted proverbial end to the dark day, an average Pakistani struggles on. There are widespread reports about people losing jobs left, right and centre. as unemployment rises to a staggering 5.6 million (as per remote estimates). Just as worrying are households cutting into their safety net to meet day-to-day needs. If sky-high power bills were cited as the reason for many selling gold, the never-before-seen hike in petroleum products is forcing many others to contemplate a move abroad. The past few days have seen a string of protest demonstrations by the business community as it implored the caretaker setup to feel the pain of the masses. Becoming at least 20 per cent costlier in the last month, the price per litre of petrol stands at par with the current rates in the US, a country whose per capita income is well above $40,000. That every such announcement by the state is bound to lead to a tsunami of inflation (national headline inflation is still at 27.4 per cent) has become common knowledge and many spend their days, dreading the next hike. Because firms in nearly all sectors are either running into losses or just breaking even, unemployment numbers are about to get drearier. Therefore, only a proactive state and its reliable plan for accelerating growth can help reduce the aura of despair. The time for temporary fixes has long passed. Crackdowns against currency and commodity hoarders and smugglers may offer rare feel-good moments to a perpetually distressed nation but cannot be of much use otherwise unless punctuated by structural readjustments. People do not wish for a temporary sigh of relief anymore because they do not have the stomach to bleed at the altar. Tall promises or no tall promises, change should happen on the ground and for their benefit. *