This is apropos a Business Recorder op-ed “WB: A wake-up call” carried by the newspaper yesterday. The writer, Farhat Ali, started his argument in a fascinating manner by saying that “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

Nero was rightly blamed for ignoring a serious matter, and neglecting his people while they suffered. Events unfolding in Pakistan in quick succession amidst indifference of stakeholders appear to represent a similar situation”.

I fully endorse whatever the learned writer has said in his op-ed for the newspaper. In fact, the situation is more grim or worrisome than what he has tried to present through his impressive argument.

In my view, we are in a state of disorder due to an ugly clash between institutions of the state and this clash has been taking a new ugly turn on a daily basis.

The present situation does give birth to a highly unsavory question: Are we as a country or nation nearing a state collapse? The answer has may be in the negative but what about all the apocalyptical signs around us? We all know that state collapse is marked by, among other things, the loss of control over political and economic space.

Unfortunately, however, we are, knowingly or unknowingly, trying to create all the necessary conditions for state collapse. The recent developments on the national scene do alert us to a highly unsatisfactory situation and prompt us to remedy them without any further loss of time.

Sajid Abbasi (Rawalpindi)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023