Looking forward

Given the situation we find ourselves in today, we can only look towards the future of our country with trepidation


Editorial December 31, 2014

The date, January 1, as we write it out for the first time each year always seems to bring with it a semblance of hope; thoughts about what the new year holds in store for us — and for our nation. Given the situation we find ourselves in today, we can only look towards the future of our country with trepidation. The challenges that face us are immense; sometimes they seem to take on the form of huge walls of granite, which cannot be broken through or surmounted. But we need to dismiss such thoughts from our minds and bravely confront our difficulties.

It is true these difficulties are diverse and complex. In many ways, they are inter-linked, creating a gigantic structure which overwhelms us. As we have confronted the horrific aftermath of the school attack in Peshawar which left 134 children dead, it has seemed that militancy and extremism are our biggest enemies. This, of course, is to a very large degree true. The enemies on our own soil present the greatest possible threat to our safety and security. But their presence in our midst is tied in to a whole range of other factors. These include poor governance and the lack of political stability that this breeds.

The mass dissatisfaction of people with the current government is a key reason why the sit-ins and protests staged by Imran Khan and the PTI received mass support. Accusations may have come that these were an attempt to destabilise the government, but given that the allegations of poll rigging and corruption have a strong hold on people’s minds, there is an inter-connection between the sit-ins and poor governmental performance.

This is something we will need to overcome if we are to move forward, and given the scale of the problem, all parties will need to move together for this. They have, over the past few weeks, demonstrated unity and a willingness to work together. For now, this process must continue. We need to stand together against evil.

There are other factors that drive this evil on. Underdevelopment plays a key part in the illiteracy and unemployment which allows extremist groups to recruit new people to their ranks. The political leadership needs to evolve policies to counter this. It can do so only by directing far greater priority to the problem and adjusting economic strategies so that gains can be made. Right now, our economy is a badly shattered one. We can only borrow from others in the hope of keeping it going, but in the longer run, this will not serve us well. Combined with the economic problems, we have those of energy. As a result of the drastic shortfall we face, the wheels of industry do not move smoothly. They have become stuck in ruts and the result is a worsening of the overall situation.

Circles also continue to go round and round in other areas. Because of militancy, we literally have a crippling of people in the country with more than 290 cases of polio emerging in 2014. This is the highest number of polio cases reported for more than a decade, and the role played by militant groups who have killed dozens of vaccinators and support personnel and prevented teams from entering specific areas has played a direct role in the harm caused to our children. It is no coincidence that the vast majority of cases are reported from Fata and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. We need to stop this damage.

Our political leadership needs to direct full attention to this and find means to turn the country around. This is what we need for our future and for the future of all the people who live within our borders and make up our nation that possesses great potential but too little achievement in practical terms.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2015.

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