While Pakistan remains fixated on developing its traditional systems, developed countries around the world are investing in industrialisation through information technology and artificial intelligence in order to strengthen their economics. The main reason behind the development of countries like China, the US and Korea is that they have focused more on human capital by providing them the necessary skills, education, health facilities and rights that can add value to their services.
Unfortunately, after seeing Pakistan’s budget of 2020-21, it is evident that we are still following the same trend of an arm race, where weapons are more important than pens and where missiles are more important than providing free education. The real defence of every country is in its as economic well-being which is supposed to be centered around education, health and development. This time around the public was eagerly expecting relief packages, economic growth, new jobs, industrial investment and human well-being, but it seems that nothing has changed since the bureaucratic system and concerned authorities are still hell bent on ruining the lives of citizens for their own personal gain.
It is about time that authorities in Pakistan turn their focus towards things that are important for the livelihood of the people, which for many years have been completely ignored, such as education and health. They should redesign the budget while keeping these necessary reforms in mind.
Syed Zahid Ali
Khairpur
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2020.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
