KARACHI:
The tense political environment in the country has focused all attention and energies on what will happen next. Once again, the woes of the masses and the ensuing economic crisis have gone ignored. The global surge in food and fuel prices has made essential items out-of-reach for the lower-income groups. To make things worse, circular debt has once again gone out of control of the government. Due to non-payment by the government, power generation companies have reduced their production, which has resulted in 8 to 12 hours of load-shedding in many parts of the country.
We are already faced with severe water shortage for consumption and irrigation, early summer and prolonged droughts will further exacerbate the problem. The myriad problems coupled with the poor shape of the economy are worrisome. Unfortunately, our politicians have ignored these issues and are busy playing an ugly game of power. They have little interest in resolving the economic crisis or helping the masses out of their misery.
The opposition’s no-confidence motion and the government’s allegations of a foreign conspiracy facilitated by the opposition show that our politicians lack empathy for the people. For them, all other problems have taken a back seat and their main concern is who will emerge victorious in this fight for power. The country is now faced with a constitutional crisis because of the politicians’ lust for power and selfishness, which has deepened schism and polarisation in the country. One cannot help but wonder if our politicians will ever rise above themselves and think about the betterment of the country.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2022.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
