Distractions

It is disgraceful that of the handful of countries with nuclear power, Pakistan is the only one whose electricity and gas prices, currency exchange rate, tax collection targets, income and sales tax rates, customs and regulatory duties, level of subsidies, interest rate etc are determined in the US, by the IMF. Almost five decades ago Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto said that Pakistan would develop its nuclear bomb even if its citizens had to eat grass.

Today after taking endless loans from international donors we are literally eating grass. Is this the sovereignty that we had envisaged where we are even blackmailed to form a foreign policy to suit the donors? There are several other states in South Asia such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal etc, whose economies are outperforming Pakistan’s in every aspect. This is because these countries focused on their socioeconomic agenda after independence rather than entering into an arms race with India like Pakistan.

Fuad Enver

Islamabad