An endless spiral

Although 46 years have passed since the 1971 war, the spectre of the East Pakistan imbroglio continues to loom large. Those who were responsible for this tragedy have not been held accountable. Moreover, we as a nation haven’t learnt a lesson from this dark chapter in our country’s history. Over the last four decades, we have failed to produce a strong leadership that can fuel progress and prosperity.

The inept policies of successive governments have devastated the country and shaken the foundations of the state. A multi-organ failure has adversely affected the country. A quick glance at recent events reveals that democracy has consistently remained in a state of disarray. Our leaders have, by and large, disappointed us. Who should we vote for if most of our leaders are incapable of efficiently governing the country? The current leadership only works in the favour of the wealthy. We need to make our country strong enough to address the challenges of misgovernance. The key to success lies in an honest leadership and greater efficiency within the organs of the state. This will reduce the likelihood of people taking shortcuts. If we fail to adopt the right path, we will end up in a far more difficult scenario than what was witnessed in 1971.

Zahid Ali Khan

Rawalpindi