Reap what you sow

There is an old saying: ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’, which can be applied to many instances, but basically means that you will have to bear the consequences of your actions.

In other words, if you plant a pear seed, you can’t expect an apple tree to grow. Similarly, if you do something wrong, you cannot expect any good to come of it in the long term. In numerous places in the Holy Quran it has been stated that wrongdoers, sinners, criminals, etc will face severe punishment.

The Sharif brothers had, in the past, been shown great favours by the Almighty – vis-a-vis the positions they held, the wealth they earned, etc. Unfortunately, it is this same position and wealth that has been their downfall. They surrounded themselves with cronies rather than by people of ability.

Meanwhile the public was expected to swallow all this lock, stock and barrel. We were “treated” to one long continuous theatrical performance after the other. On top of that we had to listen to Shahbaz Sharif’s provocative remarks about Zardari. One had not expected such behaviour from him. In hindsight, it seems almost impossible that the PML-N government did not know about the fake accounts issue. It seems to have been an agreed agenda and now they are reaping what they sowed.

The present, rather critical state of affairs in the country is cause for concern. Businessmen, traders, economists, etc – everyone is very worried about the economic condition within the country. Uncertainty prevails because of high inflation, raised interest rates, major increases in the rates of gas and electricity; petroleum and oil products have seen a nominal decrease in price.

Naturally, government officials are presenting a rosy picture and a bright future. Prime Minister Imran Khan has come a long way to reach the position he is in now. Unfortunately, his team, instead of sticking to the work at hand and present positive and constructive programmes, can usually be seen, as is the way of politicians in this country, talking about the past and indulging in mud-slinging.

Let the past be the past and let the courts deal with any wrongdoings. Now is the time to concentrate on the present and the future. Positive programmes and achievements speak more loudly than false claims and boastful words. So far, we have not seen much worthwhile. Let us hope and pray that the prime minister succeeds in delivering on the promises made to the nation during his many election speeches and claims. Not only has he inherited many problems, none of his team members has any experience; they seem to lack vision and well-thought-out objectives.

The need of the day is for experienced, well-educated people, not those beating their own chests and overly fond of hearing themselves speak (of which there are quite a few!). Track records are what should be looked at; the right person in the right place can make a huge difference and ensure success. How many nameless faces surrounded Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif? Mr Prime Minister, please take the bull by the horns, not by the tail.

Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com