Sir: Elections are around the corner, but other than mudslinging against opponents, there is absolutely no mention of alternative plans any of contesting parties has to offer. Nobody talks of providing clean drinking water to public, nor how they will invigorate economy to generate jobs, or provide them security of life and private property from clutches of powerful Land Mafia Dons, in whose private jets they commute around country.
Each one of them is only busy calling other black, but none offer any solutions. No politician has come up with any plan to levy taxes on every citizen earning above a threshold. None has mentioned whether they will levy taxes on real estate profits, where black money is parked. Everybody knows that unless Real Estate is brought into tax net, there will be no investment in industry, without which exports cannot be increased. Has any political party talked of ordering forensic auditing of power generation and energy projects with their guaranteed capacity payments which are a burden on economy?.
Whether it is Bilawal or Nawaz, both are critical of Chief Justice for exposing their failures, instead of accepting that people of Pakistan live in misery. Even Imran Khan has not offered any concrete proposal to alleviate their suffering. All you hear is abuses and exploiting religious sentiments. The establishment is busy in their own welfare schemes and allotment of plots.
GULL ZAMAN
Peshawar
Published in Daily Times, April 4th 2018.