What could have been

This letter refers to the article ‘White elephants’ (April 14, 2024) by Dr Farrukh Saleem. Had we been able to stop political meddling in these so-called white elephants, we likely would not have been forced into privatizing them. If we had stopped the killing of merit and the hiring of unqualified people, state ownership of these important organizations might still be viable. Instead we either did nothing or, when we did try to make things better, the reforms were stalled and never fully implemented. Now, it appears to be too late. Privatization is the only solution left and it is a very common economic practice worldwide. The countries that have adopted this approach have, in many cases, not only managed to restore the financial health of former state enterprises but have even managed to end up creating more jobs for the people. Those criticizing this step as compromising our sovereignty are only holding the country back. We should move on.

Anas A Khan

Edmonton

Canada