Perceptron
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Pakistans path of denial
By:Ali Rizvi
Pakistans future seems uncertain, especially in these volatile times when the threat of an economic wipeout is looming on the horizon. The most worrying part in this sordid tale of incompetence, corruption, nepotism, black marketeering, cartelisation, monopolies is that Pakistanis seem to have a 10-second memory span. Its very easy to wipeout our memory. Suicide blast in Lahore kills 30; memory wipes out in one week. Policemen gang rape a woman for months; memory wipes out in two days. Load shedding making lives miserable, memory wipes out as soon as load shedding stops. We are an indifferent nation. There will be no revolution in Pakistan; we all have the collective memory span of a gold fish.
So if any of you feel the Arab spring will come to Pakistan, youre mistaken; because just four days ago, on 23rd October 2011, a father of two burnt himself alive in front of the parliament. Raja Khan from Sindh doused himself with kerosene and set himself alight. He was taken to the hospital with 95 per cent burns and died on Monday. He left a letter that said he was responsible for his death; he had taken this decision because he was fed up with his financial condition, he wrote that he was leaving behind two children and the government should take care of them. Surprisingly though, the day after his death was not declared a public holiday. On closer inspection I found out that he did not have the Bhutto DNA in his bloodstream, or even if he did, he did not carry the name. Had his name been Raja Khan Bhutto, the next day would have been declared a public holiday. Why, you ask? Well, because we can.
I dont know how Bhutto, the man who came to power campaigning for workers rights, championing their cause, must have felt in his grave when a man killed himself because a democratic government which came to power on his legacy failed to provide their workers sustenance. Sustenance you ask? Im sure a daily wage earner can survive on boiled rocks for breakfast, lunch and supper when the government declares a public holiday.
All is well. We are embarking on a path of prosperity where each and every one of us will be able to promise a bright future to our coming generations. We hear this rhetoric day in and day out from our worthy politicians. All will be well Im sure, if these same policy makers instead of continuing with their vulgar borrowing binge from the State Bank of Pakistan introduce some tax reforms by widening the tax base. That makes more sense. Its the logical way to raise money; through taxes. It will ensure that the rupee remains stable. All will be well, if instead of distributing Rs40 billion through Benazir income support programme, a paltry amount by our governments standards is allocated to create employment opportunities for the people of Pakistan, for promoting industry, for attracting investment. Maybe, just maybe, today Raja Khan would have lived had the powers that be, instead of patronising their vote bank by distributing cash cheques worked on creating employment for the youth.
In the last four years Pakistans public debt has increased by more than Rs5.7 trillion it took 60 years for it to reach Rs4.8 trillion capita income growth rate is 0.3 per cent, a reason why investment has decreased to its lowest level in the last 40 years. Economic mismanagement and inflation, coupled with minimal employment opportunities, is strangulating our middle class.
We are on a path to oblivion while our innocent people continue with their lives of indifference, waiting for a revolution to take place, as they sip on their cups of tea while the screams of people like Raja are buried deep within the ashes of our own sins, our own apathy.
By:Ali Rizvi
Pakistans future seems uncertain, especially in these volatile times when the threat of an economic wipeout is looming on the horizon. The most worrying part in this sordid tale of incompetence, corruption, nepotism, black marketeering, cartelisation, monopolies is that Pakistanis seem to have a 10-second memory span. Its very easy to wipeout our memory. Suicide blast in Lahore kills 30; memory wipes out in one week. Policemen gang rape a woman for months; memory wipes out in two days. Load shedding making lives miserable, memory wipes out as soon as load shedding stops. We are an indifferent nation. There will be no revolution in Pakistan; we all have the collective memory span of a gold fish.
So if any of you feel the Arab spring will come to Pakistan, youre mistaken; because just four days ago, on 23rd October 2011, a father of two burnt himself alive in front of the parliament. Raja Khan from Sindh doused himself with kerosene and set himself alight. He was taken to the hospital with 95 per cent burns and died on Monday. He left a letter that said he was responsible for his death; he had taken this decision because he was fed up with his financial condition, he wrote that he was leaving behind two children and the government should take care of them. Surprisingly though, the day after his death was not declared a public holiday. On closer inspection I found out that he did not have the Bhutto DNA in his bloodstream, or even if he did, he did not carry the name. Had his name been Raja Khan Bhutto, the next day would have been declared a public holiday. Why, you ask? Well, because we can.
I dont know how Bhutto, the man who came to power campaigning for workers rights, championing their cause, must have felt in his grave when a man killed himself because a democratic government which came to power on his legacy failed to provide their workers sustenance. Sustenance you ask? Im sure a daily wage earner can survive on boiled rocks for breakfast, lunch and supper when the government declares a public holiday.
All is well. We are embarking on a path of prosperity where each and every one of us will be able to promise a bright future to our coming generations. We hear this rhetoric day in and day out from our worthy politicians. All will be well Im sure, if these same policy makers instead of continuing with their vulgar borrowing binge from the State Bank of Pakistan introduce some tax reforms by widening the tax base. That makes more sense. Its the logical way to raise money; through taxes. It will ensure that the rupee remains stable. All will be well, if instead of distributing Rs40 billion through Benazir income support programme, a paltry amount by our governments standards is allocated to create employment opportunities for the people of Pakistan, for promoting industry, for attracting investment. Maybe, just maybe, today Raja Khan would have lived had the powers that be, instead of patronising their vote bank by distributing cash cheques worked on creating employment for the youth.
In the last four years Pakistans public debt has increased by more than Rs5.7 trillion it took 60 years for it to reach Rs4.8 trillion capita income growth rate is 0.3 per cent, a reason why investment has decreased to its lowest level in the last 40 years. Economic mismanagement and inflation, coupled with minimal employment opportunities, is strangulating our middle class.
We are on a path to oblivion while our innocent people continue with their lives of indifference, waiting for a revolution to take place, as they sip on their cups of tea while the screams of people like Raja are buried deep within the ashes of our own sins, our own apathy.
