When a country remains shut for a week, how can it expect to increase its income?
ISLAMABAD: We are masters of celebrations even if there is no occasion to do so. We celebrated the country’s inclusion in the GSP Plus regime by the European Union in the hope that much-needed foreign exchange would be earned from exports that would boost our economy. However, what we forgot was that our acute energy crisis would make it very difficult for us to expand our export capacity through increased production.
Even the export of its traditional items such as fruits and vegetables has been dented thanks to a ban on the use of air cargo on PIA flights to America and now the EU. It is understood that Britain banned PIA from carrying cargo to UK airports, on grounds of security and hence all EU states must now abide by that ruling.
Regardless of these ground realities, our rulers have declared the holding of Independence Day celebrations from August 1, when we were still under the subjugation of the British Empire. I fail to understand why we must waste public money on such mindless exercises.
In addition to these absurdities our government announced four Eid holidays to celebrate the festival. When a country remains shut for a week, how can it expect to increase its income, foster a culture of hard work and avoid dependency on aid?
Raja Shafaatullah
Published in The Express Tribune, August 4th, 2014.
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