As the trust deficit widens

The growing crisis in ensuring governance and managing the economy along with the augmentation of political schism between the government and the opposition parties must be taken seriously by those who are at the helm of affairs. The sharp increase in the prices of gas, petroleum products and electricity, coupled with the rupee devaluation, has caused a major economic crisis in the country resulting in enormous increase in foreign and local debt. The hustle to do better at tax collection has not reaped much fruit either.

The real issue is the growing trust deficit between the people and the PTI government. Periodic U-turns taken by the Prime Minister on various policy matters and his failure to put things in order despite being in power for almost a year now has deepened frustration and pessimism among the majority.

The growing trust deficit between the people and the government, particularly on governance, rule of law and the economy as well as lack of plausible effort by the PTI government to bridge a growing lack of trust, will certainly have its impact. Here, the case isn’t much different with the opposition parties too, who could not gather well to give a good shake-up to the government.

If the PTI-led government has managed to pass the budget despite the claims made by the main opposition parties that they will not let it happen, it is telling enough of the opposition’s current standing. Failure to ensure good governance and the rule of law is reflected in the mess the administration is swamped in. No qualitative change has taken place in ameliorating the socio-economic conditions of people in the last one year following the commitments made by the PTI chairman that now appear to be a pipe dream.

One can configure four reasons why there is a growing trust deficit between the government and the people, and then between the opposition and the people. First, despite the repeated speeches and appeals made by the Prime Minister that people should pay taxes in order to rid the country of the quagmire of loans and debts, no slight improvement has been observed in the situation. People rightly ask that when the taxpayers’ money is wasted to maintain the comfort zones of the ruling elite and the Prime Minister, who is not a role model as far as austerity and simplicity is concerned, why they should adhere to the tax amnesty scheme or accept a periodic rise in the prices of gas, electricity, fuel and other items of necessity.

Second, people are not naïve enough not to observe the lack of infrastructural development that pivotal to improvement in the standard of their living. The conditions of public hospitals, educational institutions, transport, availability of clean and safe drinking water and sanitation is as worse as it was last year. Two hundred and twenty million people of Pakistan are also observing sharp fall in the value of the rupee vis-a-vis foreign currencies. They are also observing that foreign exchange reserves with the State Bank of Pakistan have shrunk to around seven billion dollars and the taxes collected are not spent on their well-being.

Third, Pakistanis now bitterly notice that no major commitment made by the Prime Minister has transformed into some practical action. It is argued that when privileged classes have been evading taxes for years, why a common person should be asked to give sacrifices while indirect and regressive taxes continue to squeeze the salaried and the blue-collared class.

Fourth, the two leading opposition parties have miserably failed to deliver — whether in the government or in the opposition. The origin of the current crisis too can be traced back to the time of their rule. When the opposition parties talk about launching a movement against the government, there is no likelihood of people supporting them. Masses crumbling under the burden of price hike, inflation and corruption are right to argue as to why they should sacrifice for those whose main aim is only to oust the PTI-led government and seek power for themselves; why they should pave the way for the return of those who, over decades of their rule, never served people and were primarily involved in maximising their wealth and power.

Where is the way out and how can the 220 million people of Pakistan get relief from severe economic crisis? The only way out is an efficient, honest and courageous leadership which should also be above contradictions.

When the state is involved in corruption and nepotism, one cannot blame people if they are indifferent to the growing economic malaise in the country. The only fault of common people is that they tolerate those who continue to let them down after getting themselves elected.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2019.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.