Understanding not arrogance

God may show the leadership of the incumbent government the path of wisdom leading to national redemption! The poor masses’ threshold of resilience may not be put to test because once their wrath is set in it is unforgiving. These words are reflective of the utter helplessness in the face of ‘the arrogance of the leadership of the PTI’ that is not even willing to shake hands with the political opponents what to speak of taking them along on the vital national interests. Their ego seemingly is not even shy of relegating the national interests to the back burner.

‘The fault, dear Brutus, does not lie with our star. But in ourselves’ famous Shakespeare’s line in Julius Caesar, literary exemplifies the PTI government’s performance that has been going from bad to worse since it came to power nine months ago. It may be recalled that the PTI chairman, now prime minister of the country, in his victory speech appealed to the people to give him six months’ time to experience thereafter qualitative difference in their collective and individual lives. Now, he is asking for two more difficult years while addressing at a ceremony of a hospital in Rawalpindi last Friday. It is now left to the people to evaluate whether they are better off or worse off than the erstwhile times and determine the credentials of yet another commitment on the basis of their bitter experience that may or may not come to fruition after two years. The overriding opinion that has emerged after the feedback from the majority of the information channels suggests that people are very much disappointed and indeed very angry as the incompetence and inexperience of the mandarins. They are apprehensive of the perpetuity of autumn of despair to their utter disenchantment.

The leadership of the incumbent government seems engage in building up the legacy of tall promises made and broken without compunction. The chairman used to say before assuming the coveted office of the Chief Executive of the country that he would double the revenue generation through taxes because he knew how to get the money out of the pockets of the elite who was notorious of evading paying taxes. The significant shortfall in the revenue collection by the FBR, around Rs350b, during the nine months of this government spoke volumes of the foolhardiness of the projected iron-clad commitment. The crashing of the good will of this government among the masses is quite evident. The frequent changes of the finance team at the top level may confirm that fault lies with the leadership as the economy of the country has been heading to precipice unabatedly.

Highly respected economist of integrity of Pakistan, Dr Hafeez Pasha, has painted scary picture of the economy of the country enough to shiver the bone to the morrow as he predicted that four million people might go below the poverty line in the next two fiscal years (2019-20) along with one million jobless. Inflation might touch double digit, debt servicing would eat up Rs2.6 trillion, and the country had to pay $40b during next two years. People may recall about the much circulated compilation of the list by the top leadership of the highly quality experts in all fields who would fix the economic mess of the country allegorical to the magic wand. The people have not seen yet the Pakistani expatriate experts in large number working in the country to get the economy out of the vicious circle that has indeed spinning rather faster on the trajectory of downward spiral without showing any sign of abating.

The news originating from the (IMF) prospective financial support programme has been suggesting that the tariff on gas and electricity may go staggeringly up for the large population of the country that has already gasping for breath due to the hellfire of inflation.

The prospects of making turnaround are regretfully bleak because of the government leadership seems not prepared to adept to realities and instead banking on playing to the gallery notwithstanding the alarming negative indicators of the economy according to the studies conducted by the reputable domestic and international relevant organisations. The divisive politics is the least desirable thing to pursue in such circumstances by the ruling elite because of its immediate negative impact on the economy that is usually highly susceptible. The political stability is indeed sine qua non for the economic advancement that may not be imagined without it. To create enabling environment the ruling party may seek the cooperation of the opposition because without the cooperation of the other side of the political divide the political stability may remain a fainted hope and so the economy as collateral. Ironically, this simple logic of ordinary prudence has seemingly failed so far to make inroads into the hearts and minds of this government.

The fundamental reality of accepting the role of the opposition in the democratic dispensation cannot be undermined through draconian tactics. Unfortunately, the PTI leadership has seemingly decided to excel by doing negative politics through intrusive vilification and demonisation of the political opponents. The nine months rule may be enough to calibrate their understanding of the folly of following wrong strategy of keeping the opposition off balance. It may in fact result in apocalyptic prognosis for the government itself in the final analysis. Serious people are already wondering if the incumbent government was also keeping the people at large in a spin of vicious cycle of miseries as a part of political strategy to get the lease of time that otherwise may not become available. If so, it is non-negotiable.

The gruesome miscalculation may lead to the crumbling of the government under its own weight. The rulers’ incompetence and inaptitude attributed to their lack of understanding of the whole perspective may prove as unforgiving because public perception is the ultimate arbiter.

Ironically, they seem to have morphed the democratic politics into a bare-knuckled tendency of stirring up controversies on the well settled issues to keep the media, civil society and all those perceived as potential threat pre-occupied on purpose so that they may not get spare time to get involved in anti-government activities. In this count, their ill-conceived assertion to evaluate the 18th Amendment as responsible for imposing bankruptcy on the federation, suitability of the presidential system over the parliamentary system and so on and so forth served no one purpose except creating confusion in the minds of all and sundry. Thankfully, the seasoned politician of the PTI, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister, cleared the dust when he stated at the floor of the House that no such moves were under the consideration of the government. The longevity and indeed futility of the controversy on the political horizon of the country on such important subjects of immense national importance may defy the assertion of the foreign minister. However, the nation took sigh of relief with thanks over much needed clarification that may hold on.

Such distractions as stated above suggest defy the provision of relief to the people as the multiplication of their predicaments have been continuing without hiatus. People are grappling in acute fear to make their both ends meet. But government’s policies to deny them last morsel are continuing without the tinge of mercy.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto demanded that the terms of reference of the (IMF) package must be debated in the Parliament failing which the opposition would not accept it for being “PTIMF” package. The government’s reluctance to bring it to the Parliament is beyond comprehension because the institution is the highest representative forum of the nation being depository of their aspirations. Such an important subject having direct bearings on the national economy should be discussed in the Parliament for getting the input of the opposition benches for the requisite fine tuning. Its ownership attributed to both sides of the political divide may surely render the requisite legitimacy to the financial support programme of the IMF that may otherwise become controversial.

The parliamentary ownership of the IMF programme is needed for another reason as well because of the reported stringent conditonalities of the programme that are going to hurt all the segments of the society right across. If opposition parties are on board the resultant blowback of the people may be muted to the extent of not jeopardising the whole programme the criticality of which may not be over emphasised. Running amok or to get-it-alone policy may be avoided for good reasons. Opposition is responsible enough and is equally keen to see the stabilisation of the economy. On the other hand, government’s running helter shelter without coherent policy may enforce fiasco of grotesque proportion.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com