It is often said that Pakistan is on collision course with reality and sooner or later, it is going to get very tough for Islamabad to continue like this; no money, no income, terrorism across the country, politicians fighting with each others, people angry with their government, consumer unhappy because of unbelievably high inflation, business community unhappy because the environment is not conducive for growth, labor is unhappy because there is no work for them, and this list goes on and on. The question is; how can these people be convinced to join hands to help Pakistan? The answer is, we don’t know. No body knows because people have lost faith in their country, their institutions and this lack of confidence is terribly destructive for the future of Pakistan.
These problematic issues seem small when considered in isolation, but these do add up when looked in totality. This is where leadership comes in. And if Pakistan is fortunate; it will eventually produce a charismatic, realistic and honest leader who will pull the country out of its current state of complete disaster. Right now, there is no one in the country, both in the government or in opposition who is capable of moving the country in the correct direction. Current lack of leadership in Pakistan is serious and Pakistan cannot continue leaderless forever. And those who are in power live n a bubble, totally detached from ground realities.
This must end now.
Ironically, President Zardari has been traveling around the world to meet with leaders and get as much help for Pakistan as possible. But, is this going to help the country? We don’t know! We never know the outcome of these meetings, but it surely is further burdening Pakistan’s already depleted coffers. When he is back, our Prime Minister will go traveling to different parts of the world. And yet, Pakistan’s economical situation never changes. So, if these trips don’t serve any purpose, why travel? We seriously need to evaluate this question. This option of traveling abroad has been a regular practice for every government in Pakistan’s history and given Pakistan’s very tough financial situation, the country seriously needs to abandon these luxurious trips.
If Pakistan seriously adopts this policy of less traveling, governments around the world are going to be sympathetic to Pakistan’s approach to save money and this might help the country not only save precious foreign currency, but it can help raise more money to save Pakistan’s future. In addition to less traveling, the country should also request foreign leaders to avoid traveling Pakistan because this too makes life miserable for ordinary Pakistanis. It is already hell when domestic dignitaries travel from their homes to their offices in the country because the streets and the roads are blocked ahead of time and if we add foreign leaders to this already tense traffic situation, ordinary people suffer tremendously. The country must explore this option of saving time and money seriously.
The country should also look towards non-elected people to help Pakistan. Especially, the role of young people coming out of educational institute is going to be crucial. Otherwise, dysfunctional dynastical political system will continue to weaken the foundation of Pakistan.
