The alliteration theme, usually a part of literature lessons, continues in the process of manifesto writing by our leading political parties. The curious obsession with manifesto points beginning with the same letter had begun nearly a decade ago. After about a month of thought and discussion, the PML-N has come up with a manifesto comprising three ‘E’s — energy, education and economy. The manifesto was to have been presented on Independence Day, but was announced in advance by the PML-N party chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, who will be in Saudi Arabia after August 14.
Certainly, each of the ‘E’s are relevant. We need to tackle each of them. But the PML-N does not appear to have clearly stated quite how it intends to achieve this. The senior Sharif has said that the power crisis will be solved within two years and Pakistan converted into one of the top 10 economies of the world. Similar strides forward are to be made in the education sector. But we have been given few details as to quite how these miraculous changes are to be achieved or what policies will be followed to do so. In other words, like so many before it, the manifesto really comprises a string of promises with little of substance to back them.
In this sense, it is especially ironic that Nawaz Sharif should have spent so much breath lashing out indirectly at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and warning people without mentioning the party or its leader not to be lured by mere words and promises. Given the crisis Pakistan faces, the manifestoes put out by our parties need to spell out in far clearer terms quite how they intend to achieve the said goals and what measures will be taken to bring about the change they hold out as a target. This has not happened for a long time. The art of manifesto writing has been lost and what should be a detailed blueprint for action and policy has really turned into little more than vague pledges, which sound extremely promising on paper, but with no guarantee that they can be converted into reality.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2012.
COMMENTS (13)
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And the writer wants full hard worked out plan to be put to the opponent, who are known brain dead and idia stealers. At the right time the full detailed plan be put in action, PML N , nation is waiting you come in power and put nation on the road of progress and prosperity. Love you Nawaz sharif, great leader, secessful man, not zakat / charity Begger like others,
My vote is for PMLN
chineses declares china has a 5000 year history. china entered metal age 1500 year later than Europe, china entered machine age 200 years later than Europe.
glass was invented 5000 years ago. it was before chinese came down from the tree.
Backgammon was invented 5000 years ago. it was before chinese came down from the tree. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon
china invent 0 machines and proposed almost 0 formulas in the last 300 years. Chinese can not make any high quality machines. (cars, planes, ships, trains,…) they are only goo at high school math, because they spend double time, and all their students wear glasses. none of the top 50 mathematicians in history are chinese/Hongkongese.
even chinese calendar was invented by a European. Johann Adam Schall von Bell http://www.rheinische-geschichte.lvr.de/ProduktionArtikelMarginal/0153-4Dgr.jpg
chinese stared to learn solid geometry in chinese qing empire, about 400 years ago. And their text book is Euclid's Elements, which wrote Euclid by 2000yaer ago.
PTI phobia
NS only visits Pakistan for couple of days after months. He is not one of us, clearly.
Who are you kidding? Details in the manifesto? Who will understand it rather than a select few? Best way to judge a party is by its performance in the last 4 years and that is in front of us.
Empty promises and rhetoric win elections, not detailed manifestos. This is true the world over. The only way to tell if someone is telling the truth is by looking at his/her past.
@Awans: Do you mean to say that PMLn is some angel and PPP is devil? Why should Imran Khan help one Devil against the other? Can you name any body in PMLn who is a lesser eveil than PPP? Actually Punjabi mindset is the problem . Any body who is Punjabi is angel and because Zardari is Sindhi so he is devil. Punjabis have mastered the art that they do every thing in the name of Islam and Pakistan. They are the sacred Cows.
First of all, I applaud PML-N for at least giving a realistic plan to resolve big issues but how exactly they are gonna do it, is still unknown. Secondly, I would urge PTI supporters to please look at the things positively. Vote according to your will but also ask PTI leadership to come up with realistically feasible plans and spare us from "90 days" rant. I would also hope that all other parties would share their vision with us, if they are elected to power.
Any answers to those 11 questions? ;-)
Election Commission should ask guarantee or surety bond from the political parties that if they come in power they will at least achieve 90% of their manifesto, otherwise that party and their members should be banned for next election.
The person knows that Pakistani nation does not have the intelelct and love promises. so he is doing what the nation deserves. He is Fraud Sharif and standing up to his reputation.
Finally...someone said it as it is.
Does the writer of this article have any idea that PMLN is the first party to call the energy conference and also Asad Umer of PTI was present there as well and after months PTI did the same. PMLN have an elaborate policy about energy crisis and that is why they come up with a two year plan not a 3 month no rational plan. Among the ranks of PMLN there are many educated individuals and also one should note that in Punjab their power base is in Urban cities more than than the Non Urban Punjab and their voters are educated as well. I think now PTI is going over the board to just criticize one Party and the beneficiaries are simply PPP and its allies ( MQM, ANP, PMLQ and JUI ). . PMLN and PTI are two Opposition Parties and rather than talking about Coalition Imran Khan is concentrating to remove PMLN from its roots rather than making a coalition with them to oust PPP and Its allies from the government. The politics of Personal enmity should be ended and rather one should think about National issues first and Imran Khan should act wisely otherwise Pride hath a Big fall in my view.