Odds on national plateau must take precedence

Over 9m Pakistanis face 'crisis' conditions, another 1.7m are in the 'emergency' category in terms of food deficiency

Sir Patrick Geddes, a sociologist, was never lost in thought as he said, "Think globally, and act locally." That is where we all lag behind as a conscious community, as those at the helm remain obsessed with playing to the gallery. As geopolitics comes to define the interests of those who look for deviations from pressing local responsibilities, it becomes an episode from Game of Thrones. The less said, the better on the evolving politics of the day.

The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad recently were in the eye of the storm as far as civil empathy is concerned. The federal capital was in the limelight as it was hosting the world's arch-foes, Iran and the United States, for a tête-à-tête. The comforts underneath the Margalla Hills depicted a flashback of Camp David, but fell short of a historic accord. The bravo of diplomacy on the part of Pakistan, however, is well-appreciated.

The civic life, nonetheless, was unnecessarily disrupted as a population of over six million suffered blockades, causing water and food scarcity and blocking access to essential services. The closure for more than a week was unwarranted, as our astute security forces could have taken care of high-profile guests without the cessation of daily life.

A harsh reality is that Pakistan has innumerable odds to address on its national plateau. That is where we are missing in showcasing collective wisdom. Of late, the country has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, as we looked the other way. The WHO has come up with an SOS, saying the populace is on the verge of a catastrophe as HIV cases simmer. The reasons are paediatric infections, reuse of syringes, unsafe blood transfusions, and methamphetamine (ice) addiction. These could have been avoided with a prompt health infrastructure, though.

Then came another warning as the UN Global report on 'Food Insecurity' flagged Pakistan for being in a miserable phase. It said over nine million Pakistanis face 'crisis' conditions, and another 1.7 million are in the more severe 'emergency' category in terms of food deficiency. Unfortunately, an agrarian country was found to be in the rank and file of Afghanistan, Congo, Myanmar, Sudan and Yemen as the primary centres of acute hunger.

Terrorism is another nuisance that is eating into our vitals, and poses an existential threat. Despite so much kinetic thrust, the Global Terrorism Index 2026 in March has ranked Pakistan as the "number one country" most impacted by terrorism globally. Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa sit on razor-edges of revulsion, and cry for political stability. This precarious situation cannot be left for another day to be handled. There is no room for luxury to mend other's fences at our own peril.

Corruption, likewise, is another stigma that is undermining our moral and governance covenants. That is so because there is no accountability at all, and organs of the state are in disarray at the hands of a fractured Constitution. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), 2025 and the Transparency International year after year continue to see Pakistan in muddy traits of mismanagement, where trillions are embezzled at the state level.

A staggering recovery proceeds of Rs5.3 trillion that went undocumented in the national exchequer is a case in point, apart from billions that are siphoned in routine. A figure of $100 billion is now quoted by state functionaries as treasure lost. It is irksome to note that a recent World Bank report termed Pakistan's economic system "better in terms of producing poverty as opposed to producing prosperity".

Such a state of affairs solicits some deep introspection, and instant efforts to put the house in order. Decay in the arenas of health, education, economy and governance are an unfortunate constant, and it does not need any rocket science to identify where the ill-will rests. The least that is desired is taking the first step in admitting that we have blinked collectively, and that there is need to kickstart an auto-correction in an inverted pyramid module.