LAHORE : The growing lawlessness and injustice in the country due to rising inflation and economic insecurity is alarming from every aspect. The entire nation is worried about the current situation in the country. It is necessary that the state and political forces play their positive role to control the situation.
These views were expressed by the discussants in Jang Economic Session on ‘Increasing pressure of economic problems - whose responsibility is it to provide peace of mind to the people?’
The panelists were Mudassar Raza, Ms Faraha Naz Naqvi, Ms Aima Mehmood, Dr Salahudin Ayubi, and Rana Ehtesham Rabbani while the session was moderated by Sikindar Lodhi.
Talking on this occasion, Mudassar Raza said that a state is like a mother and responsible for solving the economic problems of the people but unfortunately, the state is doing nothing in Pakistan. The government should take effective measures to save the industry, solve the problems of health, education and unemployment, he added. He said that the government’s revenue target is Rs9.5 trillion while the markup payments are Rs11 trillion. The circular debt is Rs2.7 trillion which increased in successive governments. The biggest tragedy in our country is that the government is taking loans continuously to meet daily expenses. The solution to get out of these problems is to establish industry in the country by creating peace and law and order besides reducing government expenses, he opined.
Ms Faraha Naz Naqvi said that Pakistan is still standing at a position where it was 75 years ago but those countries, which gained their independence later than Pakistan, are ahead of it in almost every field, she added.
She further said that the worsening situation of the country can be gauged from the fact that the educated people are also not getting job as per their qualification and potential. Everyone is worried about their financial situation and unresolved issues. The government has to involve the private sector effectively to resolve the problems of the people, she stressed. While expressing her views, Ms Aima Mehmood said that injustice, poverty and unemployment are prevailing in the country but there is no sign of peace of mind among the people. The people are going through these difficult situations today due to the wrong policies of the current and past rulers, she added. Elaborating her point, she further said that working women are facing multiple problems while the education of girls has been affected greatly due to strange policies of government. People are being asked to live a simple life but the government should first implement this policy to its ministers, parliamentarians and other top bureaucrats. These ministers, parliamentarians and top bureaucrats should bear their security expenses, cost of petrol and other luxuries. It is right time for government to focus on rescuing industry and trade, subsidize medicines and formulate a sound economic policy, she added.
Dr Salahudin Ayubi on this occasion said that our country is passing through a tough and strange phase. On one side, the stock market has reached an all-time high but the people have no savings and bank profits are rising. Almost everyone belonging to middle or lower middle class is in a crisis. Mental stress is increasing in every sphere of life. The state should play its effective role and the government should provide a good working environment to save both the industrialists and the industry, he opined. Rana Ehtesham Rabbani said that the country is suffering from the worst economic pressure due to some wrong decisions of the rulers. There are some positive signs that the current elites are trying to improve the country’s affairs. And as a result of these positive developments, the atmosphere of despair among the people could be removed in a few months, he added. He further said that rulers should adopt policy of simplicity, protocols should be reduced and atmosphere of hatred should be changed.