KARACHI:
Pakistan has confronted turbulent times several times since its inception. The first few years after independence and the decade of the 90s were considered highly politically unstable periods. However, the country sailed through those testing times with resilience.
However, the recent political developments are unprecedented. The institutional clashes amid political infighting have touched new heights. The credibility of key institutions is eroding at a fast pace, jeopardising their ability to deliver on their mandate as envisaged in the Constitution. The media is replete with stories of the poor committing suicide due to record-breaking inflation. The political instability and import restrictions have resulted in many businesses shutting down causing huge unemployment. The bleak economic outlook evident from low credit ratings has so far deterred the International Monetary Fund and other friendly countries to come to our rescue and invest in the crisis-ridden economy.
The performance of the government on the external front is no different. The fallout in Afghanistan following the US exit has hit Pakistan harder. The inconsistent and ambiguous policies have only emboldened the adversaries. India has once again stepped up its propaganda campaigns to link Pakistan as a country harbouring terrorism. But the latter seems to be lagging in presenting a counter-narrative around the factual ground realities. All these challenges are rooted in the failure of the government to tackle the political instability amicably. All stakeholders should commit to focusing on what unites us, not what divides us further.
Asad Aziz
Khushab
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2023.
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