Collective failure

These days whether it is social media, TV or newspapers, one gets to read and hear about how terrible the IMF programme is going to be for the Pakistani nation. If our financial health was in reasonable shape we wouldn't have had to go to the IMF. Let's use as an example a person with high blood pressure. If this person insists on eating the wrong food, uses salt and sugar excessively, does not exercise and in general does not follow the doctor's orders, then who is at fault? The doctor or the patient?

As a nation, our current predicament is our collective fault. Though unfortunately, just like climate change, the people who did not cause it directly will be the ones paying the highest price because of it. The poor of Pakistan will suffer the tough conditions of the IMF programme because of the incorrect policies practised by the people at the helm for the past 30 years.

Syed Hussein El-Edroos ( Islamabad )