Malik M. Ashraf<\/p>\n
There is no denying the fact that the economy of the country is precariously perched at the edge of a precipice due to the shenanigans of the political parties and their leaders who have invariably focused on pushing forward their narrow political agen\u00addas and fomenting politi\u00adcal instability. It is said that economic progress hinges on perennial political stability. This re\u00adality is corroborated by the history of the developed countries as well as rapidly developing countries.
\nPakistan is a victim of self-inflict\u00aded tragedies and the dilemma is that our politicians refuse to learn from history and rectify their blun\u00adders that have brought Pakistan to where it stands now. Political rival\u00adries have been stoked into political enmities without ever bothering to introspect what harm the obtaining situation is inflicting on the country as a whole and lives of the people.
\nIn a democratic polity the rul\u00ading party and those sitting in the opposition are two sides of the same coin. The opposition is gov\u00adernment in the waiting. Though the party in the government may have different views and strategies from the opposition to deal with national issues but their ultimate and common aim is the well be\u00ading of the people, ensuring peace and development and protection of the state interests. Nevertheless it is only possible when the politi\u00adcal parties do their politics in con\u00adformity with the internationally recognized norms of democracy and have unflinching commitment for upholding the constitution and laws of the land besides respecting each others mandate.
\nThe split mandate given by the people is being vociferously de\u00adcried by PTI and other political parties. The PTI is claiming that its mandate has been stolen not\u00adwithstanding the fact that the can\u00addidates backed by the party have swept the elections in KPK and also obtained 95 seats of the national assembly. Calls are being given for protests against alleged rigging and thwarting the political process in the post-election period not realiz\u00ading the fact that any attempt to or\u00adchestrate political instability in the country would lead to unimagina\u00adble consequences as far as the econ\u00adomy is concerned. The country has witnessed unprecedented politi\u00adcal instability since April 2022 up to 2024 general elections due to an ambience of confrontation between political parties adding to the ve\u00adlocity of economic nosedive. There was almost a national consensus that elections were imperative to bring the much desired and need\u00aded political stability in the country to stem the rot in the economy and providing relief to the masses. Now that the elections have been held and the process of forming govern\u00adments in the centre and provinces is reaching its conclusion it is respon\u00adsibility of all the political parties to avoid confrontational politics.
\nMy considered view is that in the given situation political stabili\u00adty and revival of the economy is the only way forward. The political par\u00adties will have to use their collective wisdom to winch the country out of the challenges related to the econ\u00adomy putting behind their rivalries and inflated egos. They must un\u00adderstand that the country can no more stand politics of disruption and chaos. Every body will have to contribute his share in the develop\u00adment of the country. The people will also have to identify those elements which are in any way involved in the activities to thwart the progress of the country. Adopting the sug\u00adgested course is inevitable with no other options being available.
\nTo understand the severity of the economic challenges it is perhaps pertinent to point out that by June 2024 the country has to pay loan amounting to $ 24 billion and dur\u00ading the next three years another $79 billion will have to be repaid. The country is almost in a debt trap due to reckless borrowing by successive regimes more so by the PTI government which borrowed $ 52 billion during its three and half years rule more than the amounts borrowed by other regimes in their stints of power. The country is also bearing loss of hundreds of billions of rupees monthly by keeping the state owned enterprises afloat.
\nUnder the circumstances writing a letter to IMF by Imran Khan urg\u00ading it not to approve the much need\u00aded bail-out packages for Pakistan is indeed very regrettable and falls in the domain of anti-state act. The IMF will not provide the much need\u00aded relief to the rival party of PTI but to Pakistan. It is therefore incum\u00adbent upon all the political parties to focus on national interests instead of their own political gains. Pakistan comes first and badly needs nation\u00adal reconciliation to winch it out of the quagmire that it is stuck into.
\nThe country needs charter of economy and abiding commitment by all the political parties to bring political and legal reforms that might be needed to ensure political stability in the country, strengthen the state edifice as well as carrying out electoral reforms that could for ever eliminate the culture of creat\u00ading doubts about outcomes of elec\u00adtions. It is a now or never situation. The entire onus lies on the political leadership of the country. And God forbid, if they fail to rise to the oc\u00adcasion it could lead to incalculable harm to the country besides mak\u00ading them irrelevant to the future political landscape.<\/p>\n
The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Malik M. Ashraf There is no denying the fact that the economy of the country is precariously perched at the edge of a precipice due to the shenanigans of the political parties and their leaders who have invariably focused on pushing forward their narrow political agen\u00addas and fomenting politi\u00adcal instability. It is said that economic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[3489],"class_list":{"0":"post-390885","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-malik-m-ashraf"},"yoast_head":"\n