Pakistan: a victim of the mediocratic and the cartels

“For how long people of Pakistani shall continue to suffer political mediocrity, colonial bureaucracy and crony business cartels? Countries in Asia are progressing rapidly with investments in productivity, technology and quality of life. We can also do it if we put some merit in system,” says Haroon Sharif in his tweet on 1st March 2023. [He is a Pakistani economist who served as the Minister of State and Chairman Board of Investment from September 2018 to June 2019].

Added to the observation is the utter chaos, lack of direction and subsequent lack of policy in every department. In Pakistan, if at all there is any policy it changes from one government to the other. Entities overseas looking to invest want to see consistency in ongoing policy and legislation that lays down parameters within which an industry works. Not rules and regulations that a) change at whim and b) are tailored to the needs of ‘crony business cartels.’

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Local authorities state that IMF has shifted goalposts on four critical points. Dawn reports,” Officials hint at ‘1998-like situation’, say foreign capitals working for Pakistan’s ‘meltdown’. This should really not come as a surprise to anyone. The looming iceberg ready to hit The Titanic can be visibly viewed. There is a serious chasm between what Pakistan promises to do[diplomacy] & what Pakistan can actually do.

Whether it has been our institutions who have made a complete mess; made us a laughing stock in the world, or the political parties that can, even in the worst crisis do nothing but lunge at each other’s’ throats in hate- one thing that cannot be doubted is that neither all political parties together nor one in an individual capacity can handle the issues Pakistan faces. They just do not have the ‘thinking’ team to deliver!

We have come to a dismal point. The fault is entirely ours of course. Pointless pointing fingers at conspirators lurking behind trees and glass blades. We have abused Pakistan, eating away at her, gnawing for the last mouth bite. 

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Is it too late to wake up and for our political parties to pull together & think of Pakistan? Or is that naïve thinking? If this does not happen, what will be the outcome?

The writer is a lawyer, academic and political analyst. She has authored a book titled ‘A Comparative Analysis of Media & Media Laws in Pakistan.’ She can be contacted at: yasmeenali62@gmail.com and tweets at @yasmeen_9