
KARACHI:
With general elections just around the corner, political parties are uncovering their party manifestos that contain huge, rather illogical, promises. The election manifesto is an important document as it represents the party’s ideological stance and connection with voters. It contains priorities and policies that are to be pursued after being voted into power. After elections, the manifesto serves as a tool for voters to remind party leaders of their promises.
Pakistani political party manifestos often feature tall and false promises, such as providing 300 units of free electricity, constructing 3 million houses and allocating substantial funds to government schemes. These promises are unrealistic and illogical, given that Pakistan, with a circular debt of 2.8 trillion rupees, cannot afford to provide 300 units of free electricity to consumers. A country that fails to meet its tax targets and inherits a deficit budget every year cannot be rich enough to allocate billions of rupees to various government schemes and construct over 3 million housing units.
A policy note from the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) highlights shortcomings in the past election manifestos of the PPP, PTI and PML-N, particularly in addressing crucial macroeconomic, constitutional and social issues. In the context of Pakistani politics, the pattern seems to revolve around the making and breaking of promises. Unfortunately, once elections conclude and parties assume power, these impractical promises often go unfulfilled until the next electoral cycle. Consequently, a cycle of mutual blame ensues, with parties pointing fingers at each other for contributing to the ongoing socioeconomic and political challenges.
Zain ul Abidin
Larkana
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2024.
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