A roller-coaster year

This has been a year of many ups and many downs. Unfortunately, 2014 finished on a major down with the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, which killed at least 134 children and nine adults on December 16. The event has left behind a shocked country; a country considering what to do next and wondering what the coming year will bring for it. The National Action Committee set up at the all-parties conference (APC) to address the issue will continue to look at the possibility. But for now, the moratorium on hangings has been lifted, at least six people have already been hanged and the fear of revenge means a major security alert is prevalent across the country.

This, of course, is not a high note on which to end the year. But there have been better moments. In October, Malala Yousufzai was announced as only the second Pakistani to become a Nobel laureate, winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and mesmerised the world with her poised address on receiving the prize in December. Sadly, the pride in her achievement has not been reflected at home as much as should have been the case. Coming to the political situation, the sit-in staged by the PTI starting from August 14 may have had its downsides, but it helped raise awareness about the key question of electoral reform in the country and awakened in people a desire for change. The national unity demonstrated at the APC in December as the dharna was called off also signified a common concern for the nation. Let us hope this can translate into something positive. It will happen only if all parties and state organs remain committed to the cause at hand and do not abandon their stated desire to do what is best for their country and its people.

The operation being carried out in North Waziristan has also brought some possibility of an end to terrorism although the road ahead in this regard is still a rocky one. Operation Zarb-e-Azb has proceeded with some success and has demonstrated much commitment by the army. This, too, is something we can as a nation can be proud of. Let us hope it brings rewards in the future. However, it is wise to remember this will be possible only if the military action is combined with political initiative and work goes into development, so badly required in the tribal areas, so that people can be lifted out of ignorance and a life full of hazard.

There are other issues which also stand before us. For now, the economy remains in a shambles and there is little evidence of any achievement in solving the energy crisis, which has paralysed the country. Acute gas shortages in Punjab have left cities unable to function. This cannot continue. We need to find a solution, and we need to find it quickly. The economic and energy factors are, of course, tied in together with circular debt contributing to the acute electricity and gas shortages we have faced throughout the year.

There have also been some positive steps forward. China has invested in several projects in the country. How these will be translated into services for the people is yet to be seen. Individual effort has resulted in new schools coming up in places where there were none and we have also experienced other examples of goodwill stemming from the efforts of civilians acting as individuals and groups. The civil society’s stand against hate speech and other issues following the Peshawar attack is a sign that we live on as a country. Pakistani students have also won honours abroad for their inventions in the field of information technology and other spheres and this, too, shows how much promise lies within our country. Our challenge for the future is to translate this promise into reality and use it to take our country forward so that the darkness can finally give way to light.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2014.

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