Daily Times

Imran is still our best fighting chance to get us out of our terrible mess.

This I say, despite his early ignorance, inexperience, incompetence, follies, missteps and u turns.

The last I see as a great quality as he learns and rectifies. And if course he’s had to make compromises.

Here’s the headline.

Pakistan is as bankrupt as a country can be.

Our revenues are far less than our expenditures.

Of every Rs 100 of Federal spending. 42% goes to debt servicing, 24% to defence if we include defence pensions and those which indirectly go to defence projects but not categorised under the head of “defence”.

Of the remaining 34%. 25% goes to current expenditures and 9% to development which includes health, education etc.

We’re trapped in a deadly debt trap, kind courtesy of, Benazir, Sharifs and Zardari who are all collectively responsible for the devastation of our economy and the wholesale destruction of all our state institutions and public sector enterprises.

It will take time to reform the entire system, polluted, sickened, plagued, destroyed. Especially our Judiciary, Bureaucracy, Police.

Our governance structures need major reform. Increased Local Government, A new Electoral system like proportional reprsentation to allow competent people into our legislatures and executive policy making roles in government.

And we need many more new Provinces. At least 25.

The last to break the monopoly and overwhelming power of our largest province and to bring governance down to grass roots.

It will take an even bigger effort to get out of the debt trap, generate more resources and revenue by growing the economy, creating inclusive growth alleviate poverty, kick start our industrial, agriculture, services sectors, upskill our labour force, both urban and rural, create plenty of jobs, contain inflation, increase exports, minimise imports.

A huge challenge is how to reduce current expenditures, civil and especially military.

Not an easy task given our history of military rule and our internal and external challenges and threats.

Our overwhelming military footprint can only recede by strengthening our civilian, public sector institutions, not by degrading an already effective institution, the military.

The Bhuttos, Sharifs, Zardaris have plundered this country with abandon.

It is sad to continuously see the terrible propaganda launched against Imran to discredit him, run him down, so that this terrible and evil status quo comes back.

Let us not become unwitting supporters or deliberate partners in this evil attempt.

Think Pakistan!

Imran is not perfect. He has many faults and I’ve listed them many times, written about them and said so publicly.

Importantly, he clearly needs a much better set of advisors, special assistants and cabinet members, and he knows it too.

Given his rapid understanding of governance we hope that he’s able to separate the sheep from the men/women and up the quality of his team and the advice he gets.

But he’s still our best fighting chance and we must continue to support him and also offer constructive criticism, harsh it may be. He listens!

And If there’s anyone who can bring about civilian supremacy in our governance, it is him. Not easy, not immediate, but in time. Yes.

Don’t trip him up, pull the ladder from under him, join the chorus of those crooks and criminals who want him out so they can start to loot and plunder again.

The reason we see so many ills in governance and every segment of our society is because the filth and can of worms around us is now visible.

It’s important to remember, as individuals and societies, any progress and change is always slow, painful, gradual, filled with sacrifices and very hard work, with the default status quo in the shape of the Sharifs, Bhuttos, Zardaris and their like, fighting back to preserve their power, positions, wealth, influence and situations.

That’s all.

Given his rapid understanding of governance we hope that he’s able to separate the sheep from the men/women and up the quality of his team and the advice he gets

Pakistanis as a society and as a nation, especially our elite have never sacrificed or worked hard. We got everything handed on a silver platter on 14th August 1947.

Those who did sacrifice their all, are hounded as Mohajirs, still struggling for an identity in a nation of Pathans, Punjabis, Baluchis, Sindhis, Kashmiris.

Imran, is attempting to initiate change in a society which is used to corruption, lying, cheating, servility, loot and plunder as an accepted way of life.

This is Pakistan! We comment when we see the rot. As if nothing can be done about it!

This is the system Imran has to change, using, for now the same tools, the same institutions, the same people, people who are part of the status quo till we reach a tipping point.

His challenges are both his own inexperience and the society’s terrible character, behaviour, norms and patterns.

I hope and pray that he learns faster and better and able to get the kind of people around him, who can make it happen and will also be willing to step up to the plate or this quicksand!

Pontificating and criticizing him and his inability to change the rampant evils and ills of our society, while preserving our rapacious way of life and not stepping up, is hypocrisy.

This is true for the vast majority of our society.

It is especially true of our educated and aware elite as they diligently pound away on facebook, whatsapp, twitter, Instagram, social media and their OPEDS.

And even more true of our mainstream media warriors.

The media anchors who orchestrate their “family feuds” every evening asking the same tired questions from the same tired guests with the same tired answers. Boxing bouts. NooraKushthees. Drugging this already illiterate society with garbage disguised as political talk shows.

This last bunch of media ignoramuses who couldn’t walk and talk at the same time, most never having done a day’s decent work in their lives, or handling real problems and situations, except wag their tongues and their tails, depending who is in front of them, have hijacked our narratives, filling it with nonsense!

This is what Imran is up against and that’s why I say that if there is a chance and it’s a BIG IF, it lies with Imran to bring about change and to progress.

Also remember, PM Imran’s support base is from those who desperately want change unlike those of the Sharifs, Zardaris, Bhuttos, a collection of ethnic baradaris, familial groups, corrupt financial interests, and sadly those with a simplistic, superficial view of pro and anti military / democracy. The last cleverly used by these dynastic politicians. Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, AsfandyarWaliFazlurRehman, Achakzai.

The challenges are huge and complex.

Corrupt politicians, dysfunctional state institutions, a corrupt indisciplined society at all levels, the elite institutional capture by corrupt businesses, a mafia like judiciary and police, religious schisms which could tear us apart, and a military institution with overwhelming influences and footprint which could turn this country into a semi fascist state.

Remember this, all those who shout from the rooftops about change having no experience in implementing any change anywhere.

*It takes a minimum of 3 years to bring about serious, sustainable process and cultural change in a business organization, where the CEO is all powerful and has his/her handpicked leadership team.*

Here we’re talking not of decades of rot. But centuries. Just remember that.

And if we fail, God Forbid, then it’s back to the stink and vomit of the Sharifs, Bhuttos, Zardaris and their like till we disintegrate under their loot and plunder.

Or fascist military rule which will unleash demons no one can control.

Take your pick. It’s not a perfect world!

Haider Mehdi is a Geo political commentator / blogger on National and International affairs. Formerly a media anchor, corporate leader, management consultant, start up entrepreneur and military officer, he tweets @HaiderKonsult and blogs on shrmehdi.com