Although we should not ideally wait for others to issue a clarion call or spell out remedies for what’s been happening in the kitchen, the World Bank joined the long list of Nostradamus-es as it warned that Pakistan’s economy languished on the edge of a precipice. With over 40 per cent population living below the poverty line, elite capture has once again become a heated buzzword as analyst after analyst asks decision-makers to pursue radical policy shifts. Just three days earlier, the IMF chief had similarly advised the government to start taxing the wealthy and protecting the poor. As the fragile finances stare into the default abyss, pampering of the selected few at the expense of millions under-prevented has landed on the radar of almost everyone who wishes for a turn in our misfortunes. Big and powerful people have long occupied meaningful resources. But after decades of a self-perpetuating vicious cycle eating up all of the pie, shrill alarm bells force us to open our eyes to the biggest enemy: an oligarchy whose deep-entrenched influence earns it subsidies while leaving the rest of the country with mounting troubles. The experts are right as they look down upon our economic model that fails to address the “silent human capital crisis.” That it took unprecedented commitment from the state to reduce the poverty rate to 34.3 per cent became a moot point amid heart-wrenching news about Pakistan’s per capita income plunging to one of the lowest in the region. Simply waving the election flag would not achieve anything significant because the return to democracy should occur on the shoulders of hard work, determination and thorough preparedness. Yelling catchy slogans and expecting people to chime in cannot do anymore. Today, if any political party wishes to climb the ladder, it would have to show it has what’s needed to set forth a targetted, efficient service delivery system that supports the most vulnerable and keeps a tight leash on the sprawling public expenditures benefiting a few. *