Pakistan's Economic Woes Inflation, IMF Deal, and Government Apathy
Although the Shehbaz Sharif government has secured a deal package from the IMF, the Pakistani people have yet to experience any real relief. The government should have acted wisely and provided immediate relief on electricity and gas bills, but sadly, our leaders have become indifferent. In this context, the Punjab government's decision to hand over 14,000 public schools to private NGOs, along with suspensions and notices to teachers, is condemnable. This decision will make education even harder for the poor and middle class. This unjust decision should be reversed immediately.
The tragedy is that the country is buried in debt, industries are shut down, and unemployment is skyrocketing. To this day, no one knows where the money from privatization went. In such circumstances, it is crucial that the government stop laying off people under the names of "right-sizing" and "down-sizing" and instead provide honest and capable management to institutions. Those in power must cut down their luxuries, non-development expenses, and give up perks like large vehicles, free fuel, and electricity.
The truth is that the politics of self-interest has caused irreparable damage to the nation. The current oppressive system has robbed the people of their right to live. Today, landlords, feudal lords, capitalists, and mafias have free rein, exploiting the country. With poor, non-serious decisions, they are pushing the country toward chaos, political instability, and anarchy. Due to poor governance, institutions are falling apart, and corruption is weakening the system.
Pakistan should have been transformed into a true Islamic welfare state where no one sleeps hungry, but every government—past and present—has only made life harder for the people. If the current government had strengthened the system of checks and balances from the start, appointed capable people to key positions, and taken strict action against corrupt elements, things would be different today. Unfortunately, the real root of the problem is the lack of effective strategy to restructure institutions and the free hand given to corrupt individuals. No government has been willing to sincerely address this.
According to the State Bank report, there has been a 458% increase in profit transfers abroad, meaning foreign companies are now sending more money out of Pakistan. This will hurt the confidence of local investors. It is high time the government creates policies that benefit the local business community.
It’s shocking that while the government claims to be reducing inflation and celebrates the IMF loan, the price of a 20 kg bag of flour has increased by 150-200 rupees, and a 10 kg bag has gone up by 70-80 rupees. Even the price of fine flour has risen by 500 rupees per sack. The government is literally taking the bread out of people’s mouths. Their disappointing performance has left the nation in despair. Changing faces won’t change the situation; the system itself needs to change.
The Punjab government's decision to buy luxury vehicles worth millions for PML-N parliamentary secretaries is also shameful. Reports suggest that they plan to purchase 76 luxury cars at a cost of 612 million rupees, including 29 cars for 220 million rupees for parliamentary secretaries and 30 cars for 209 million rupees for ministers' protocol. This decision is like rubbing salt into the wounds of the poor. While people are driven to suicide due to inflation, the government is spending the public’s hard-earned money on maintaining their lavish lifestyle.
The government may reduce petrol prices slightly, but they raise the cost of other items in return. The fact is, no one is speaking up for the people—there’s no law, no policy for their benefit. After the wheat import scandal, a new scandal involving rice exports has emerged. A large shipment of rice exported to Europe was rejected due to the presence of GMOs and dangerous pesticides, and there are now fears of a ban on Pakistani rice worth over 120 billion rupees. Those responsible for this heinous crime should be severely punished, and the criminal negligence of the institutions responsible for checks and balances should not be tolerated.
The federal government has imposed 360 billion rupees in taxes on the middle-class salaried group, while only 4 billion rupees in taxes were collected from landlords. The salaried and middle class have received no relief, only more tax burden.
