Wakeup call

LAHORE: This is not time for blame game nor is this a moment for confrontation. Our economy successfully tolerated two major wars with India, but has succumbed quickly to internal strife like never before.

For the first time in our history, some of our politicians are celebrating the delay in approval of our tranche by the IMF board. The politicians having no economic credentials are predicting the doomsday for our currency and the economy.

Unfortunately, we have made our economy dependent on foreign loans. The process accelerated during the four years rule of PTI, when the country needed on average an influx of two billion dollars in four months.

Whenever the foreign loans dried, the rupee and the economy came under pressure. The present government and its predecessor continued increasing expenses without increasing the tax revenues. Foreign and domestic loans covered these increased non-development expenses.

Prudent governments the world over use foreign loans for development purposes on projects that usually generate sustained income to service loans as well as become a permanent source of income for the country.

Mangla Dam and Tarbela dams were funded by foreign aid. Both the dams are generating sustained income through power generation and sustaining domestic agriculture through the water stored in them.

The much-criticized Lahore-Islamabad motorway now generates more income to fund more roads. In addition, the network of motorways has reduced the traveling time appreciably. This is progress and money well spent.

The tradition of allocating 100-500 million to the members of national and provincial assemblies for development in their constituencies is a total waste. No sustainable project can be planned with such a low amount.

Most of it is used on petty work that comes under the domain of local governments. This amount is simply disbursed to please members of the party. Each provincial government has made the local bodies redundant, particularly if the elected representatives are from opposition. We see local governments governed by opposition in almost all democratic regimes.

Local governments are supposed to regulate many affairs like price control, local policing and repair and maintenance of streets, lanes, and markets. The provincial and federal government pay attention to other more important matters.

We have systematically destroyed the entire administrative system in the country. Institutions are openly maligned. When governments involve some institutions in affairs that must be dealt with by other state organs, they weaken those institutions.

We are in a mess. No one individual or a party can take us out of this mess. It requires collective efforts. Every politician must work sincerely to arrive at a consensus with the opposing point of view.

The principle of this consensus must be merit, rule of law and no special concessions or perks for any individual. There should be no discretionary powers for any individual. Let the merit rule.

Tax dodgers must not be spared. Smugglers are criminals and must be treated like that. Time is not on our side and there is no room for error. Self-interest must be sacrificed over national interest.

Political infighting has already damaged the country more than combined past natural disasters from earthquakes to all types of floods in the past 75 years. We must celebrate and not mourn the 75 years of independence!