Bizarre politics.

In a democratic dispensation, elections are the means through which people give a franchise to any political party to govern the country on their behalf. The political parties invariably come up with their manifestos in which they underline their vision and strategies to improve governance, nudge economic development and their outlook on regional and global issues. However, the major issue invariably is the way they perceive putting the country on the path of sustained economic growth and promoting the well-being of the masses.

Unfortunately in Pakistan that is the area where people are duped with promises of a prosperous future. The measures indicated are such that even a country like the US cannot muster the resources to implement them. While they cry hoarse from every convenient roof-top to propagate their manifestos they never indicate from where they would bring the resources to implement them. The poor masses have been repeatedly taken for a ride through false promises. As a consequence, the country finds itself in the worst-ever economic crisis. The most regrettable reality is that all those who have contributed to this mess through their incompetence and unimaginable policies are not prepared to accept it and as usual continue to blame their political rivals for this economic precipice.

No lessons have been learnt from the already self-inflicted tragedies and the focus remains on the politics of self-aggrandisement to the chagrin of the hapless masses. It seems like a never-ending agony. The snow-balling deterioration in the economic situation has been further aggravated by political instability fomented by none other than the self-proclaimed revolutionary, who has proven credentials as a demagogue and whose policies during his three and half years rule can be safely likened to the last straw on the camel's back.

I am not saying that his rivals sitting on the other side of the aisle are saints having an unblemished record. Of course, they are equally responsible for bringing the country down to its knees. Under the circumstances, there is an imperative need for all the political forces to use their collective wisdom to winch the country out of the quagmire that it is stuck in rather than trying to settle scores with each other. The insistence by PTI that immediate elections were the only solution to stem the rot and put the country back on the rails is untenable in the absence of any alternative economic strategy it thinks can work...