Broken future

LAHORE: As we enter 2024, many fear for Pakistan's future. Political consensus remains elusive, economic plans falter, and poverty worsens alongside the growing prosperity of big businesses. The charter of economy is absent, privatization is stalled, and inter-provincial harmony is but a dream.

There is no ideology or a program to move forward. The economic agenda spelled out in the last 30 months cannot be implemented without full participation of the people of Pakistan.

Now experts do not talk about inequality but simply ask for enough distribution of wealth that could at least afford the downtrodden two square meals a day. Shelter, security, health and education are secondary issues and can be dealt with later. The top priority is to shield the majority of the population from hunger. With a poverty ratio of 40 percent we have 100 million out of 250 inhabitants of this country that are living in extreme misery.

Lifting them out of poverty would be a herculean task even in a country that retains national harmony but for a fractured and divided nation tackling poverty would be a mirage. We will have to set our house in order to move forward. The number of poor in this country is higher than the population of over hundred countries in the world.

The painful aspect of the state of affairs we are in is that we have potential and resources to wriggle out of the present mess. The only thing needed is unity, discipline and resolve to think above self-interests.

We will go further down if the current level of corruption continues. There will be no chance of improvement if the appointments continue to be on nepotism and without merit. The country cannot be run on the whims of few that have carved out rules which allow them huge discretionary powers. There can be no accountability if discrepancies make it lawful to break rules.

In a country where 40 percent of the population lives below poverty line it is unethical if not sin when bureaucrats, ruling elite and politicians live like lords. The first two at the expense of public money. They must live modestly when a large chunk of the population is in misery. The lifestyle of rulers is not funded by tax revenues but from the high interest loans that the government takes to plug huge fiscal gaps.

The loss-making Public sector companies are a huge burden on the exchequer. They cannot be privatized because of lack of political consensus.

Those opposing privatization use their stance as a public appeasing exercise. They claim that they are saving jobs. The most unfortunate thing about PSEs is that they are loaded with top bureaucrats inducted on deputation at fat salaries and perks. Is it not criminal to waste resources on bureaucrats that generally are famous for lethargy and inefficiency in the bureaucratic set-up?

Traders are left scot-free to evade taxes because political parties pamper them due to their voting power in general elections. We cannot move ahead unless we put a break on all types of illegalities in our system committed by influential people.