KARACHI:
The rumours of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s resignation from the post of senior vice president of PML-N should serve as a wake-up call for Miaz Nawaz Sharif to change his strategy. In a democracy, there is no place for the mindset that a handful of families have a divine right to rule, which is akin to monarchies and dictatorships. Politicians should not take public support for granted and should behave humbly in public.
Today, Pakistani citizens face an economic crisis, which has been created by decades of poor governance, abuse of power, conflicts of interest, indirect taxation and subsidies for the affluent, with hardly any relief for the most deprived. It is time for political leadership to look beyond their kith and kin and instead make appointments on merit. The economic haemorrhage that Pakistan faces requires a team of qualified economists of repute and integrity instead of family members. There should be direct taxation on all sources of income and industries, including real estate and cartels enjoying tax exemptions. Indirect taxation should only be levied after exhausting direct taxation to bridge the gap, instead of vice-versa. We need massive economic structural reforms.
Mian Nawaz Shariff is indeed a popular politician in Pakistan. It is also a fact that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has experience and credibility, which should be an asset to any political party. Although Maryam Nawaz has shown political potential, she lacks the experience and maturity that others in PMLN, like Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, have. Considering that PMLN can no longer claim a monopoly over Punjab, its senior leadership must take prudent decisions for both the party and the country.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2023.
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