Ukraine’s peace talks, hosted in Saudi Arabia, further showcase this trifecta. Trump’s mediation kicked off negotiations, quieting a war Biden couldn’t end. At home, his will drives mass deportations of illegal immigrants-Border Patrol ramps up operations-while his vision reshapes culture: lifting plastic straw bans and recognising only two genders, policies cheered by supporters as “common sense reborn.” Mandate empowers these moves; will executes them; vision guides them. Trump 2.0 isn’t flawless-critics decry his brashness-but the puzzle’s pieces align. His mandate unites a majority, his will powers action, and his vision delivers results. Contrast this with Pakistan, where the absence of these elements breeds paralysis. Trump’s America strides forward, proving prosperity flows when the puzzle is whole. Pakistan stands as a stark counterpoint to Trump’s America, a nation where the Prosperity Puzzle lies in disarray. Its leaders have churned out ambitious plans-Vision 2025, the National Security Policy (NSP), and URAAN Pakistan-each promising a brighter future. Yet, these visions have crumbled, not for lack of imagination, but because two critical pieces-mandate and will-never materialized. The result is a cycle of stagnation that haunts the country. Vision, alone, is a mirage. Trump aligns them, and America advances. Vision 2025, launched in 2014, aimed to vault Pakistan into the world’s top economies by boosting energy, jobs, and infrastructure. Instead, it faltered amid chaos. Al Jazeera reported, “A decade on, power cuts still plague Karachi, and unemployment festers-Vision 2025 is a faded dream.” Why? The mandate was tainted from the start-election rigging allegations and dharnas (protests) led by Imran Khan’s PTI eroded trust. Leaders lacked the legitimacy to rally the nation. Will, too, evaporated; grand plans dissolved into infighting and inertia. The NSP followed suit. The NSP, touted as a security and growth framework, emerged under a “selected” prime minister, a label critics pinned on military-backed governance. No real mandate means no real progress. URAAN Pakistan, a recent economic reboot, may stumble too. Without mandate, these visions lack roots; without will, they lack wings. Compare this to Trump 2.0. Where Pakistan’s leaders flounder, Trump delivers-Gaza’s peace, Panama’s pivot, Ukraine’s talks-all underpinned by mandate, will, and vision. Pakistan’s plans, by contrast, remain paper tigers. The World Bank’s 2024-25 pegs GDP growth at a sluggish 2.8%, a testament to paralysis when the puzzle misses two pieces. This isn’t unique to Pakistan. The lesson is universal: prosperity hinges on all three elements. Mandate earns trust through transparent democracy. Will demands action over rhetoric. Vision, alone, is a mirage. Trump aligns them, and America advances. Pakistan ignores them, and stagnation reigns. Societies must break this cycle. Leaders need legitimate mandates, forged in fair processes, and the will to act, proven through accountability. Citizens must demand both. Only then does vision transform into prosperity-a puzzle solved, a future secured. (Ended) Afnan Wasif: The author is a Strategic Studies Graduate from the National Defence University, Islamabad. He tweets @afnanwasif Muhtasim Afridi: The author is a Strategic Studies Graduate from the National Defence University, Islamabad. He tweets @muhtasim_afridi