Jeopardising development
We would appeal to the protesters’ sense of patriotism, but they long since made it abundantly clear that they are more than willing to achieve their political ends. We would like to address the voters of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with a very simple request: if the PTI continues its protests in Islamabad, the only lender currently willing to finance the Dasu Dam, which will bring in $8 billion worth of capital investment and construction jobs in your province, will likely pull out. Instead of once again becoming — literally — the powerhouse of Pakistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will be reduced to a rump province.
We could, of course, list the multiple levels on which this would be bad for the country. Yes, it would require us to borrow money to build the dam, but this is the good kind of debt: the kind that builds critical infrastructure for the country. It would substantially increase electricity production capacity at the lowest possible marginal price and with the lowest possible environmental impact. And we could potentially lose it all because a leader cannot seem to understand the concept of proportionality. Does any of this matter to the chest-thumping nationalist supporters of the party? Or is their lust for power too great for them to care? Even take a look at the whole exercise of not paying your utility bills. How is that going to unseat a popularly-elected government? Perhaps, the only thing that this will achieve will be to cause major problems for all those who do burn their electricity bills, since the party leader will not be around to help get their connections restored. Such ideas are nothing more than populist gimmicks and do little to resolve any serious problems.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2014.
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Nehru, Menon and Sardar Patel also accused Jinnah of Lust for Power. To forgo Pakistan Gandhi asked Nehru to let Jinnah be the PM of United India. It was Nehru who did not relent and it was Jinnah who stuck to his principles. Mr. Editor your article is on the existing "Men Of Straw" in power. Now after many years you see a man with principles come to the forefront to claim his electoral right that the elections were stolen and the ECP Report amplifies rigging that transpired, you seem to be worried about the status-quo rather than the principle of holding fair and free elections and the right of the people to get the Government they voted for. If Pakistan cannot deliver this to its people then for that very reason will Investment not come to Pakistan and Foreign Visitors will shy from coming. Think, what introduction the Emperor of Japan must have been given on Zardari when he visited Japan?? Mr 10% aka President of Pakistan?? Are these and Padisah Sharif the answers to our problems??
Good, now that the seniles are being bothered, they are down to begging, which is what they do best anyway. Beg the government to keep their bureaucracy, and now beg the protesters to leave. Best do what you do best, watch from the sidelines, and write another article on it. Stop maligning Imran Khan and PTI for standing up for people's rights.
Oh yes the great development strides being taken before the protests are there for all to see. The lack of progress is just because of the protests.
The better question is what happened to the back bone of Sharif or the executive branch of the govt of Pakistan? Protesting is one thing - but the right to voice your opinion doesn't mean you can shut down the operations of a city/govt of anything else for a prolong period of time. If the law means anything it has to apply fairly to everyone - that includes the protestors.