Bilawal on Fire!

[VCheng]

Imran Khan promises no miracles. Strawman number 1 that is created. Neither does anyone expect a miracle from him. But a free and fair election is the only thing that this country needs in it's 75 year existence. That is it. And that is what he, and I, and many others want.

You want answers to the current quadmire of problems? Then take a moment and look at how they came about? When the government changed, the USD skyrocketed, inflation rocketed, allies and international lenders backed off, the industry shut down, stock market tanked, even the premium on our bonds in the international kept on rising, just recently doubled within a day.

Having a stable government, which is actually coming in on the back of popular vote and not wheeling dealing is a stepping stone to further actions and methods, economic and otherwise.

Great post. However, the question remains how early elections leading to a stable government that does not indulge in wheeling dealing can give Pakistan the actual policies it needs to get its house back in order. What if it is more of the same that we saw in the first 3.5 years of IK's government? How can it be any different this time around?

 

[Jango]

Great post. However, the question remains how early elections leading to a stable government that does not indulge in wheeling dealing can give Pakistan the actual policies it needs to get its house back in order. What if it is more of the same that we saw in the first 3.5 years of IK's government? How can it be any different this time around?

And what was it that we saw in the first 3.5 years of the IK government? Did exports not increase? Did the foreign reserves not increase? Did the USD hemmorhaging not stop? Did the industries not get back online? Did we not see the ehsaas program grow by leaps and bounds and adopt a data oriented approach? Did we not see some semblance of town planning in the form of new settlements? Did PTI not try and reform the civil service? Did PTI not try and PTI tried many things, which I would say were premature for a setup such as ours, hence the resistance as well by the bureaucracy and the military. Granted, there were some shortcomings too, but every economic policy has a pro and a con, it isn't a 1+1 = 2 equation. It just depends on how well you balance the pros with the cons.

If I was PTI or IK, this time around I would not want to do anything with the Sharifs or the PPP. Let them rot in hell or chill in London or whatever they want. I would keep my focus firmly on the economy and the actions I take. I would not take a fight with the military or try and reform the power balance, UNTIL I get everything else sorted out. The estab is the last one to be dealt with.

A coalition government has it's drawbacks, and that is why I would do what I can not to be blackmailed by them every step of the way.

 

[SaadH]

Indeed Bhutto was Army's favourite, but he got the worst treatment from them as well, i mean he got hanged, whats worse then that?

Killing your numerous political opponents, conspiring with Mil-establishment to deny Bengalis, the majority their rightful mandate as well as destroying the country's industrial base, deserved even worse. Got off too easy and is still hasn't died.

 

[TigerOfMysore]

And what was it that we saw in the first 3.5 years of the IK government? Did exports not increase? Did the foreign reserves not increase? Did the USD hemmorhaging not stop? Did the industries not get back online? Did we not see the ehsaas program grow by leaps and bounds and adopt a data oriented approach? Did we not see some semblance of town planning in the form of new settlements? Did PTI not try and reform the civil service? Did PTI not try and PTI tried many things, which I would say were premature for a setup such as ours, hence the resistance as well by the bureaucracy and the military. Granted, there were some shortcomings too, but every economic policy has a pro and a con, it isn't a 1+1 = 2 equation. It just depends on how well you balance the pros with the cons.

If I was PTI or IK, this time around I would not want to do anything with the Sharifs or the PPP. Let them rot in hell or chill in London or whatever they want. I would keep my focus firmly on the economy and the actions I take. I would not take a fight with the military or try and reform the power balance, UNTIL I get everything else sorted out. The estab is the last one to be dealt with.

A coalition government has it's drawbacks, and that is why I would do what I can not to be blackmailed by them every step of the way.

People forget the revenge of the bureaucracy in the first days of IK and PTI.
The PTI government tried to build reforms in the Civil Service and they were hammered. Everything ground to a halt. This included all aspect of the bureaucratic machine including but not limited to the FBR.

I remember every company in PK was slammed with Tax notices which made no sense. Everything was grounding to a halt because of that. I know of a company that received 40+ tax notices that had zero weight. Companies bank accounts were getting sweeped clean by the FBR only to loose at the tax ombudsman or courts. I remember speaking to a cabinet member those days (a guy I trust), and he told me in clear terms, we have a rebellion by the bureaucrats. They want no reforms and they are doing these things across the board (failing to approve projects, tax notices, etc etc) in order to run everything to the ground. I agree first thing IK should focus on is economy and the bureaucracy. Then he should hit the legislative process, then judicial reform and the last thing should be establishment. And all of these should be sequential not in parallel.

 

[PakFactor]

People forget the revenge of the bureaucracy in the first days of IK and PTI.
The PTI government tried to build reforms in the Civil Service and they were hammered. Everything ground to a halt. This included all aspect of the bureaucratic machine including but not limited to the FBR.

I remember every company in PK was slammed with Tax notices which made no sense. Everything was grounding to a halt because of that. I know of a company that received 40+ tax notices that had zero weight. Companies bank accounts were getting sweeped clean by the FBR only to loose at the tax ombudsman or courts. I remember speaking to a cabinet member those days (a guy I trust), and he told me in clear terms, we have a rebellion by the bureaucrats. They want no reforms and they are doing these things across the board (failing to approve projects, tax notices, etc etc) in order to run everything to the ground. I agree first thing IK should focus on is economy and the bureaucracy. Then he should hit the legislative process, then judicial reform and the last thing should be establishment. And all of these should be sequential, not in parallel.

The bureaucracy, which should be loyal to whoever is in power, did a great disservice to the nation. Imran Khan, from day one, was fighting against leftover garbage from 40 years of rot that had built up with one hand tied behind his back. How they sleep at night is beyond me, after feeding their family from haram earning. Hence, I feel the next generation is harami as well.

 

[Jango]

People forget the revenge of the bureaucracy in the first days of IK and PTI.
The PTI government tried to build reforms in the Civil Service and they were hammered. Everything ground to a halt. This included all aspect of the bureaucratic machine including but not limited to the FBR.

I remember every company in PK was slammed with Tax notices which made no sense. Everything was grounding to a halt because of that. I know of a company that received 40+ tax notices that had zero weight. Companies bank accounts were getting sweeped clean by the FBR only to loose at the tax ombudsman or courts. I remember speaking to a cabinet member those days (a guy I trust), and he told me in clear terms, we have a rebellion by the bureaucrats. They want no reforms and they are doing these things across the board (failing to approve projects, tax notices, etc etc) in order to run everything to the ground. I agree first thing IK should focus on is economy and the bureaucracy. Then he should hit the legislative process, then judicial reform and the last thing should be establishment. And all of these should be sequential not in parallel.

Exactly.

Half of my family is in the bureaucracy, and the comments by them were similar.

People simply stopped working.

Remember that performance based promotion board that was enacted by PTI? Jitni opposition us par mili thi in ko aur Shahzad Arbab ko, kabhi mulk ki tareekh main kisi cheez par nhn mili honi.

Ahad Cheema ko pakro to us kay saray batch mate kaam karna chor dete hain. Half the N people were leaking reports to N league all the time. Look no further than the current Punjab CS.

Kabhi kabhi dil manta hai keh hamari bureacuracy ko Rana Sanaullah, fauji, aur koi hard man hi chahiay line main rakhnay kay liay. Sharafat say baat mannay ka idhr koi riwaj nhn hai.

 

[Zee-shaun]

 

[VCheng]

If I was PTI or IK, this time around I would not want to do anything with the Sharifs or the PPP. Let them rot in hell or chill in London or whatever they want. I would keep my focus firmly on the economy and the actions I take. I would not take a fight with the military or try and reform the power balance, UNTIL I get everything else sorted out. The estab is the last one to be dealt with.

But neither you nor I are PTI or IK.

All we can do is wat to see if and when IK gets the premiership again, and with what majority. Then we will be able to see what he does this time around, and what, if anything, will be different from his first term. The chances are it will be more of the same, more claims than actual achievements.

I was hated for saying this before, but it still remains true. Naya Pakistan will prove to be just like Purana Pakistan.

 

[VCheng]

Self-edited.

Says the guy flying the Union Jack.

Self-edited.

You are quite the comedian if you really believe that.

However, you have the right to hold any views you like, just as I do too.

 

[VCheng]

Self-edited.

So you have nothing to say on the topic? Quite typical of an anonymous coward.

My views are my right, and I will post them here within PDF rules. If you have anything to say about them, and not my person, please go ahead.

 

[VCheng]

I had not heard of Water Car. For those interested, the original is here: https://www.dawn.com/news/739473/bad-science

The pinnacle of Pakistani achievements and national delusions all wrapped into one.

(Just like PTI as Prof. Hoodbhoy argued.)

 

[ziaulislam]

1- I have read the article.

2- Reputation precedes a man.

3- The author very skilfully creates a strawman, and then proceedes to destroy it, rather than focus on what is the ground reality.

Imran Khan promises no miracles. Strawman number 1 that is created. Neither does anyone expect a miracle from him. But a free and fair election is the only thing that this country needs in it's 75 year existence. That is it. And that is what he, and I, and many others want.

You want answers to the current quadmire of problems? Then take a moment and look at how they came about? When the government changed, the USD skyrocketed, inflation rocketed, allies and international lenders backed off, the industry shut down, stock market tanked, even the premium on our bonds in the international kept on rising, just recently doubled within a day.

Having a stable government, which is actually coming in on the back of popular vote and not wheeling dealing is a stepping stone to further actions and methods, economic and otherwise.

I won't comment on the rest of the pointless strawman, but as for the economic solution, it is clear as day to anyone who knows economics the vastly different economic perspectives of PTI and PML. PTI believes in stimulus based growth, and by incentivizing the private sector. Mr Dar (or broadly N), wants a government hand in everything and manipulation at every level. One wants import led growth, the other export.

As for the rest of the article, that's just false equivalence, with a sprinkling of Ertugrul and Trump.

Want more, just look a the paragraph where he mentions the 18th amendement and equates it to a desire by IK for complete submission to him. Take any economist, heck, even Miftah (I can link his interviews if you like), where they all agree that the 18th amendement is leaching us off. The federation collects the money, and the provinces just take a freebie without any effort of their own. And the federation then has to bear the brunt of it. It is fundamentally flawed and needs to be revised, and there is consensus across the board, but no one wants to do it, because politics. How can you expect the federal govt to collect the taxes, collect the money, and then just give it all away to someone who did not do any work for it?

As I said, Hoodbhoy sahab parhayi likhayi par hi dehan dain, apni zaati chapkalish IK kay sath akhbaron par na likha karain.

Him and Umar Saif are two people who really are using their educational and professional background and qualification to be seen as an authoritative voice on politics, but I am afraid that facade does not work with everyone.

Jeez you did waste a lot of time

And what was it that we saw in the first 3.5 years of the IK government? Did exports not increase? Did the foreign reserves not increase? Did the USD hemmorhaging not stop? Did the industries not get back online? Did we not see the ehsaas program grow by leaps and bounds and adopt a data oriented approach? Did we not see some semblance of town planning in the form of new settlements? Did PTI not try and reform the civil service? Did PTI not try and PTI tried many things, which I would say were premature for a setup such as ours, hence the resistance as well by the bureaucracy and the military. Granted, there were some shortcomings too, but every economic policy has a pro and a con, it isn't a 1+1 = 2 equation. It just depends on how well you balance the pros with the cons.

If I was PTI or IK, this time around I would not want to do anything with the Sharifs or the PPP. Let them rot in hell or chill in London or whatever they want. I would keep my focus firmly on the economy and the actions I take. I would not take a fight with the military or try and reform the power balance, UNTIL I get everything else sorted out. The estab is the last one to be dealt with.

A coalition government has it's drawbacks, and that is why I would do what I can not to be blackmailed by them every step of the way.

Jeez you continued to waste time on our Uncle

The pinnacle of Pakistani achievements and national delusions all wrapped into one.

(Just like PTI as Prof. Hoodbhoy argued.)

Great respect for hoodbhoy .he has done great things in politics/society/ social activism though nothing in his field of physics..what a waste of scholarship money..

Exactly.

Half of my family is in the bureaucracy, and the comments by them were similar.

People simply stopped working.

Remember that performance based promotion board that was enacted by PTI? Jitni opposition us par mili thi in ko aur Shahzad Arbab ko, kabhi mulk ki tareekh main kisi cheez par nhn mili honi.

Ahad Cheema ko pakro to us kay saray batch mate kaam karna chor dete hain. Half the N people were leaking reports to N league all the time. Look no further than the current Punjab CS.

Kabhi kabhi dil manta hai keh hamari bureacuracy ko Rana Sanaullah, fauji, aur koi hard man hi chahiay line main rakhnay kay liay. Sharafat say baat mannay ka idhr koi riwaj nhn hai.

Pakistan aliments are not going to get fixed because there is no support for it.
There is no support for progressive ideas.
There is no support to squash corruption
There is no support for open market/export competitiveness or hardwork.
There is no support to get rid of subsides
There is no support for merit based employment bonuses or removal in every field be it medicine to police
There is strong army, beaucrats, judiciary and land mafia/(feudals/peers) who has total control and can't be removed from the equation

What you need to do is just join the elites

 

[Jango]

What you need to do is just join the elites

Well to be fair, I belong to that class of our society which can live off very comfortably without having a care in the world. But it genuinely hurts seeing the state we are in.

 

[Goritoes]

For a second I got happy when I read the title, but...Huhhhhhhhh

 

[Rank]

The boy can talk.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1573267726499454977

Zafar Hijazi - same criminal who got raped in the Supreme Court 4 years ago