Pakistan’s Politics Remains Engulfed In Flames Of Hatred And Incompetence

Pakistan’s Politics Remains Engulfed In Flames Of Hatred And Incompetence
Imran Khan’s PTI after being ousted by the no confidence motion is on a warpath. It’s maligning all the state institutions, including Pakistan Army, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Election Commission of Pakistan, and the political parties. Political leaders are being painted as anti-national, corrupt and in cahoots with enemies of the country.

The PTI fans believe Imran Khan is the only honest person in the country. All others are crooks. This vicious propaganda unleashed by the PTI has made people bitter.

Imran Khan has left the people with the highest ever budget and trade deficits. The SBP’s liquid foreign exchange reserves have come down from $20 billion in August 2021 to $10.5 billion presently, barely enough for five weeks. In April 2022, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) increased by a frightening 28 percent year-on-year.

Before blaming foreign powers, the enemies of Islam, we have an urgent need to put our house in order to achieve economic and political stability. The bitter reality is that the political parties and state institutions entrusted have failed to perform. Our political leaders and institutional heads need to put their heads together to treat the cancer that is eating the roots of Pakistan. Ethics, morality, principles, integrity have all gone down the drain. Our society is now loaded with corruption, nepotism, intolerance, religious fanaticism, bigotry and an extreme form of hatred not seen anywhere else.
The most important need of the times is a comprehensive plan for institutional and structural electoral reforms. A high-powered national reforms commission should implement this reform exercise, with the constitutional backing from the elected PM.

The recent suicide attack by an educated woman at the Karachi University and the show of hate by the PTI supporters against the government delegation at Masjid-i-Nabwi are examples of how the society has fallen so low.

Imran Khan is polarizing our society. He is justifying the use of vulgar language against his political opponents. Even though the PTI government was removed through a legal and constitutional process, Khan is dragging the country to the brink of civil war. There is an immediate need to put our own house in order to ensure economic recovery, political stability, rule of law, good governance and across the board accountability. Political leaders cannot fix the society alone. The civil society will have to promote tolerance, patience, decency and civilized behaviour. This country is in danger of becoming a failed state.

Perhaps free and fair elections will guarantee some political and social semblance. The most important need of the times is a comprehensive plan for institutional and structural electoral reforms. A high-powered national reforms commission should implement this reform exercise, with the constitutional backing from the elected PM.

The present political and economic crisis is our own doing and, unless the fires of this crisis are dowsed, the country does not stand a chance of survival.