Political Strife Has Exacerbated Crises In Pakistan

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2022-12-17T12:48:09+05:00 Osama Ahmad
The nation is extremely polarised, with the masses exceedingly intolerant towards each other on the basis of belonging to different political groups. Due to such a weakened and polarized political system, the nation has a hard time dealing with issues of national concern.

Being politically unstable has cost Pakistan on many fronts, including the economic front. The economic whirlwinds which Pakistan is currently faced with are to blow fast and hard until and unless the country's political situation is stabilised.

For the past few years, the country's two biggest political parties, PMLN and PTI, have been at loggerheads with each other. This is not to mean that other less influential political parties in the country have not shown belligerence. Religious parties have also contributed their share to the political crisis. Moreover, in their animosity the PMLN and PTI have gone to an extent where all the moral limitations in politics have been pulled down. With their leaders badmouthing the opposition, the masses in following have also contributed to the toxicity in politics by the use of foul language against the opposition leadership. Both the PTI and PMLN supporters have been doing this.

Earlier, the proposal for talks with the PDM government made by the PTI chairman and the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was also in the right direction and would have been fruitful if the government in Islamabad (Federal Government) had not looked for intentions behind the proposal and moved forward with it. However, it turned the offer down.

Moreover, for the PMLN and PTI to remain adversaries for longer would not be in the best interest of Pakistan and would plunge the country into deeper crises.

Multiple threats and challenges are staring the country directly in the face while the political parties and their leaderships are engaged in petty matters. This year's riverine floods could have brought all the parties together and ended political strife, but nothing happened. Likewise, the political leaders  are not woken up by the ever-deteriorating economy of the country, with default becoming talk of the town.  Even today, when the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has resumed its terror campaign, there is no attention given to the matter by the political leadership which requires it urgently.

Moreover, Pakistan has become a global laughing stock because of the display of extreme selfishness by its politicians. Furthermore, the international community does not confide in Pakistan because of prevailing political comedy in the country. Delay in the IMF deal exemplifies this. The nation, moreover, cannot bear such a humiliation anymore. The political leadership in the country has to pull up some courage and work towards the development of the country—to gain the country some honour.

In addition, the country cannot be sacrificed for the egos and interests of some individuals. The prestige, development and security of the nation are more important than the petty interests of some political figures and the former should be at all costs prioritized.

In times of national crises challenging enough to require the immediate attention of the country's political leadership, the political leadership in developed countries is found busy in finding solutions to them. Sadly, in Pakistan we are not blessed with such a political leadership. Our political leaders prioritize personal interests over what concerns the nation. They would rather let the country be destroyed than see their personal interests at risk. This attitude of our politicians has been behind our miseries for the last 75 years, and remains to this day a the cause of our collective national sufferings. If this attitude from our political leadership stayed in place any longer, the country could be seen destroyed anytime soon.

However, the recent visits of the country's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to President Arif Alvi in a bid to reconcile the two biggest parties and take the country out of the mess are commendable and highly welcome. These visits inspire a new hope in the nation that a way out of the current crises is not impossible. At this hour, when the nation needs a rescue, a political reconciliation is especially desired.

Conclusively, a reconciliation amongst the political parties would not be damaging the interests of any political party, but would save the nation and save another day for their politics as well.

 

 

 
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