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Friday March 29, 2024

Previous two govts failed to take any major decisions

Only present govt has taken steps for people’s welfare and against terrorists

By Ahmad Noorani
November 12, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The government’s Wednesday response to ISPR press release was uncalled-for. Despite some shortcomings, the civilian government is performing well on many fronts and if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif succeeded to complete his term along with completing all mega projects, there will remain no justification for any unconstitutional rule.
The only key to success for the present democratic dispensation is to keep the temperature low and concentrate on completion of enormous energy, power, communication and public welfare projects.
Obviously not much is achieved yet in eliminating extremism and terrorism that a rate race to claim credits should begin. Still a lot more is to be done to save Pakistan and Pakistanis.
There is no need to claim credits as almost everyone knows who is doing what. The one claiming credit at this stage will be at fault.
Everyone knows that there was a federal government in Islamabad and provincial governments in provinces and all institutions were performing with all powers during the last 15 years.
Everyone is aware of the fact that almost every big city of Pakistan was bleeding because of terrorism, there was worst governance and Karachi, financial capital of the country, remained under complete control of target killers.
Everyone is aware that Pakistan was facing worst power shortage but no real project for the production of electricity was completed by previous two governments.
Everyone is in the know that the country was facing severe shortage of gas but no efforts were made or plans were devised to fill the demand-supply gap and today Pakistan is having only half the gas of its requirements.
This lack of planning, inefficiency and bad governance of successive governments during last fifteen years has pushed the country’s economy in a shambles.
Every Pakistani knew that Karachi continued to bleed during last one decade but a well-planned operation to eliminate terrorists and target killers was only announced and started on ground in September 2013 by the present government.
Officials and jawans of Sindh Rangers played marvelous role in successfully carrying out this operation in accordance with the guidelines and targets given to them by the federal government.
Pakistan army leadership during the tenure of COAS General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiani as well as COAS General Raheel Shareef played important role in monitoring, facilitating and capacity building of rangers.
But, this remains a fact that this operation could start only during the regime of present civilian democratic government.
Every Pakistani knows which government has initiated mega energy projects and is successfully pursuing them. Everyone is aware which government has launched power production projects using multiple inputs starting from RLNG, coal, furnace oil, solar to wind and is successfully moving ahead to complete them in next two years.
Everyone knows that if the present government is allowed to complete its term without any further intervention like the one in 2014, the electricity production will be more than the demand and on cheaper rates.
At present, Pakistanis are aware that the present government is set to pump regasified liquefied natural gas in the system and mega projects ensuring pumping of around 2000 MMSCFD in national gas pipelines through LNG terminals at Port Qasim and Gawadar will be completed before December 2017.
Not only this, Pakistanis are aware that big national motorways and highways’ projects are not in papers now and anyone can see many of them on ground. Not all these mega communication projects are being carried out under China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) but some of them will be completed by government’s development budget or by acquiring loans. Cheap power, availability of gas and a huge communication network play role of backbone of an emerging economy.
Pakistanis are also aware that if all these projects are completed in time all justifications of any unconstitutional rule will be diminished. Pakistanis also know that if these projects are completed no one will be able to run campaigns on social media and WhatsApp groups to disgrace and malign democratic governments using false and fabricated facts and stories.
Even on the front of war-on-terror, where jawans and officials of Pakistan Army are rendering countless sacrifices to eliminate terrorists mostly created because of Afghan war and subsequent events, a real war against this internal enemy could only start during the regime of this government though all institutions were always powerful and have all resources.
The present government adopted a policy which ensured that civil and military leadership should remain on same page at least on the issues of security and elimination of all terrorists.
The government immediately moved to pass 21st constitutional amendment, which was vehemently opposed by advocates of human rights, to facilitate the armed forces to swiftly act against terrorists as per their own strategy.
This action against terrorism must continue with more effective and result-oriented policies and strategies to save Pakistan from past mistakes and wrongs.
Given the history of civil-military relations in Pakistan and events of 2014, the incumbent civilian government will have to realize that a ‘high temperature’ move will only result in its defeat or wastage of precious time.
The only objective must be to focus on improving public life standards and completion of mega energy and communication projects.
All efforts will be made to fail all these projects to create justifications to bring an end to democracy and to invent excuses for unconstitutional rules but continuing with performance and some real work by keeping the temperature low by avoiding controversies and confrontations is the way forward.