KARACHI:
Despite being arch-rivals, India and Pakistan are quite similar in many ways. They face similar issues such as corruption, poverty and rampant ignorance. In many cases, India probably deals with more problems than Pakistan. However, in seventy-five years of independence, both countries have had different journeys and reached opposite fates.
India, which was just like us until the ‘90s will now host the G20 later this year. Their huge economy and booming markets give them an advantage and the world conveniently looks the other way when it comes to their atrocities against Muslims in occupied Kashmir or elsewhere. On the other hand, in Pakistan federal ministers have locked horns over a disagreement over if Pakistan has defaulted or is just on the brink of default. This stark contrast between the fates of the two rivals in a span of 75 years is remarkable. The only difference I can point out between the two is that India has upheld democracy and consistent economic policies.
On the contrary, Pakistan never saw real democracy. We never had true democratic norms. There was no continuity of economic policies and every ruler tried to re-invent the wheel. This has destroyed the country. When Imran Khan came to power, he slammed all policies of the past and the PDM claimed he was destroying the country. Last year after Mr Khan’s ouster, the PDM came to power and decided to start from the beginning triggering an economic Armageddon that has brought the country to its knees. Yet, the politicians are busy hurling abuses, and everything is being decided in court. I wonder if we will ever see the light of day.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2023.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
