Economic anxiety

Pakistan’s economic anxiety does not increase with only bad macro and micro indicators. Neither is it dependent on the loans that we get from the IMF and the WB. These institutions have their own axe to grind. Where are the tall claims that textile will soar because of the special status that the EU has given us? Why don’t the politicians confess and apologize to the nation for all the fibs and lies that are perpetuated on the nation? What nation you will ask me? And you may be right. The Naltar horror puts us in a different category altogether and the world watched in amazement what happened that day. Technical fault? Yes. That has to be accepted but there are cynics in this world of ours and they are painting a different picture altogether. With democracy working (we are told) we were living in a different world – law was working its way and the law-givers and the law implementers understood what Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr did not understand. That the law has to be experienced and that is what law is all about. Experienced not in the ordinary sense of cumulative experience but in another sense that Khalid Latif Gauba mentions in his book ‘Battles at the Bar’. His father Lala Hari Kishen Lal (of Rauf Klasra’s Leiah) went to jail for what he believed to be not contempt of court but the assertion of right. Two sons and their father were in jail together and that was amazing to the world at that time. We have sidetracked.

The technological shift that we had enables us to use the helicopters for a spree to Gilgit. Their lordships the Nawabs from Amritsar wanted to prove a point or two as to the spread of their popularity and the smoke-screen for the possible lobbying and bribing for the Gilgit-Baltistan elections. Instead there came this vast tragedy. None of the other helicopters landed to supervise the injured and to indicate solidarity with the injured. It took Naib Subedar Raziq to come good. The JCOs are the real strength of the uniform. The technological aspects require a more stringent involvement of the decision-making ability of this country. One does not run away from difficult situations. If we run away we are but sitting ducks to our hidden enemies; so courage Mr Politicians. It’s about time that we take hold of the verbal garbage that is thrown at us citizens.

All round us there is despondency. The textile sector wants a subsidy to become competitive in trade with other countries. The moon is offered to us by every one during the oath taking ceremony[s]. Has any one ever understood the import of that oath that they have taken and how difficult it is to live up to that oath? But why lament? We will get the kind of leaders we deserve. By the way who authorized combat helicopters to be used for ego designs?

I was reading today the statement of politicians about the ‘jungle bus’? What is more important than infrastructure? Food for the millions or mass transit for the few thousands? There are after all eighteen crores plus people in this country. But we have always served the few and massacred the many. Let us take stock of the many for whom there has been maximum anxiety. Water was short in Thar and Cholistan and in Balochistan but now that water shortage has hit Karachi where seventy percent of the people are said to be under stress and without water. The energy shortage will remain with us despite those tall claims that this would be overcome within six months. Where is that breast-beating oxymoron? Only a blockhead cannot realize that our conduct is because of our character. Is our conduct exemplary? There is chaos no matter which side you see. The top politicians are now under stress because their henchmen have started to spill beans. There is far more in the cupboard and all parties are under the scanner and found wanting.

Will we get any better? All policies if you realize are in the distant future and long-term. The heavens will be ours after we die. The Planning Commission gives handouts that projects worth so many billions have been approved. So where is the outcome? It will probably bear fruit when all of us are dead. The industry has been given preferential treatment by this government – always. These preferred people are the ones that have always let them down. The farmers have been sacrificed and the touts of the Western corporate sector are at the forefront. You name it. Once you allow these MNCs to play with your economic systems there is no way that these can then be controlled. Make no mistake, they have a lot of clout from local powerful elites; easily purchasable and easily molded. There seems to be no spine in them. But then we always have these kinds of characters.

Pakistanis have yet to fight on issues and for the rights of the downtrodden. Unfortunately, where we have suffered is the inability of our judicial system to provide justice. A rule in the Justinian system means the use of deductive and inductive logic in order to reach logical conclusions. Do we see through and ensure that we take matters to there logical conclusion?

Our anxiety is forcing our young talent to go out of the country. What has been blatantly stated about Sindh is equally true about other provinces. A young man came out of the Punjab Public Service Commission since they had announced vacancies. The form deliverer said ‘you know these vacancies have already been filled and the quota is two for each MPA/MNA from the ruling party’. What we are doing is to merely fulfill the procedural requirements. Get it. The way is simple. Members of the judicial process where this work has to be done is usually taken on board. Then the transparency system and Adil or no Adl the force of the system is applied to have their way. Transparency International stands compromised because it has taken offices inside the PM’s office. What more for decency and justice.

You can have your dog and pony shows and you can have your industrial parks and you can have your whatever but you will not get any investment. Why? Is it because our credibility is poor, is it because we have a terror reign in this country or is that we have a considerable amount of rogue behavior or is it because we do not know how to honor our words? Come on down from the high perch that you are sitting on and deal with the ordinary and the requirements for the poor.

Ask the government how many jobs have been created? Ask then what affect has privatisation on the economy? You will get a lot of justifications. Grow up. The carpet can be pulled from under your carpet and you will not know till you have fallen to the ground. Is Karachi safe? We are losing our soldiers and they have sacrificed a lot and we still do not know how to have inclusive development. Pretty soon the good days will end. What then? Where will the scoundrels hide? You already have a set of gangs sitting in forests, kidnapping of our citizens. Life is worthless if the social conditions are volatile and living is not viable. How many are in this bracket? What will you do with a nation that is undernourished? Morons.