Wandering around the IK land
The writer is a senior political economist
In April 2004, Imran Khan (IK) took Shoaib Sultan Khan to UC Swans of Mianwali, an area that together with some other parts of Tehsil Mianwali and all of Isa Khel Tehsil became NA-95, the constituency that has been electing him ever since. In a community meeting addressed by both of them, Imran Khan identified five problems facing the people of Swans — drinking water, education, health, skills, and access to micro. In his typical style, Shoaib Sultan Khan explained how these issues were to be addressed. Community mobilisation, saving, income generation, and inclusion of women were the main pillars. A visit to Swans last month provided an opportunity to see what has changed since then. The most noticeable change was that about half of the community organisation’s membership consisted of women. No more do they have to go to fetch water from as far as 3 kilometres. Lift irrigation has enabled the cultivation of over a thousand acres. Livestock development yields additional income. Women are acquiring skills and accessing microcredit to increase household income. A health unit is functioning. Many young men, after learning skills in demand, have gone to Gulf. Remittances from them have changed the life of many. At Kamar Mashani, smokeless stoves are much in evidence. Thanks to the National Rural Support Programme, solar energy is being used to run tubewells and flour machines, besides lighting homes.
This was before IK reached the top, where the bottom becomes invisible. Kamyab Pakistan is some indication that the bottom may begin to get serious attention. His constituency has been looked after in the old ways that refuse to die. Federal PSDP is taking care of the Balkasar-Mianwali and Muzaffargarh-Mianwali roads, besides a CPEC connection. A Prime Minister’s Package for Mianwali is at work, with a hefty allocation of Rs54.03 billion. Had this amount been placed with the programme that fascinated him in 2002, Mianwali would have been transformed by now. But then politicians will be politicians! Roads fascinate them most as the highly visible transactional relationship with the voters. Little wonder, these claim the largest share of 34.1% in the total allocation. The road that enters Mianwali is now a modern, well-lit dual carriageway like any other in the country. Isa Khel boasts freshly laid-out farm to market roads. There is a difference with other such roads in Punjab. More than linking the farms to the market, they are linking villages with each other. Another difference is the second place given to health with an allocation of 29.1% of the total. Work on a large hospital has begun, though many villages are without a health unit. In case there is one, it does not have the necessary staff and medicines.
Education is a laggard, as in other parts of the country. Schools without teachers, teachers, and students without proper building and facilities tell a familiar story. The problem faced by girls completing primary education — the absence of middle and high schools — in reasonably close vicinity is more acute in the IK land. Namal University is a great institution; it will become greater if its catchment area turns out quality students. Not by the cadet college being built, though. Said the Quaid-i-Azam in 1927: “I know the conservative British mind, and I do not blame them if they cannot get rid of it from their heads, that the only method in this world by which you can get suitable boys for a military career is the public school system... there is no public school system [in] any other country that I know of.”
Postscript: Geoffrey Harcourt, a famous economist and my PhD supervisor at Cambridge, has passed away. May he rest in peace!
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2021.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.