This is apropos an op-ed ‘The more things change…’ carried by the newspaper yesterday. The writer, Rashed Rahman, has presented a highly informed perspective on the current situation of Pakistan through his conclusion: Pakistan now may be heaving a sigh of relief at the short term Standby Facility agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which may open the coffers of other multilateral and bilateral lenders.
But it still promises to be a difficult, uphill, long haul for economic recovery. Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan looms after the PDM confab in Dubai and the law limiting disqualification to five years. But essentially the ‘system’ remains the same. The by now well entrenched pattern of the politics of collaboration (no marks for guessing with whom) and patronage has the country in its grip and the people by the throat.
Interesting times ahead?” I think I’m more pessimistic than this learned writer, who is widely known for his highly objective comments and analyses on the country’s political situation, because of a variety of reasons. In my view, the current situation or the impasse in the country casts an air of deep pessimism over the future of this South Asian country.
All of us now, I believe, have the tendency to expect misfortune or the worst outcome in any circumstances. Even the success the government has achieved through a standby arrangement with an ambivalent IMF has failed to lift our spirits in real sense of the word.
A deepening sense of crisis still pervades the air. Does a general election offer a solution or help improve situation in a substantive way? An answer to this question may be in the affirmative, but I have my doubts.
Naushaba Mehdi Hasan (Karachi)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.