Alarming situation

In my opinion, except for the debacle that Pakistan suffered in 1971, it is today facing some of the most critical and existential challenges of its history. A tanking economy and terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are amongst the most serious threats faced by Pakistan. Dacoits seem to be on the rampage in Punjab and Sindh. On top of that, there is the extremely volatile and uncertain political situation in the country which is preventing the economy from recovering at a faster pace. The saddest part is the fact that our government and establishment does not have any comprehensive and pre-active policy to deal with these issues. In the face of all the challenges, we seem to be only reacting and indulging in firefighting.

The need of the hour is to evolve a well-thought out and holistic response to all our challenges. Mending our economy has to be our top most priority. No negotiations and compromise with terrorists and murders of our innocent citizens can obviously take place. But nuanced policy must be followed to separate murders and terrorists from people who generally feel deprived of their legitimate rights and are following a way of nonviolent protest. A good place to start would be to have a grand political dialogue between all the political forces and major institutions of the country. All these institutions must work in unison to shape an appropriate response to the challenges facing our country.

Akbar Jan Marwat

Islamabad