The way ahead.

• Published date: 17 April 2024

The country is passing through a difficult phase where politics is chaotic and democratic norms are flouted. The economy is heavily reliant on foreign assistance and loans. Its relations with neighbours are tense and with India bordering on open hostility. With Afghanistan we need to build greater level of mutual trust.

It is seldom that we reflect that Pakistan after seventy-six years of its existence has not been able to develop a normal democratic culture. There has to be an open debate as to why it is that the political parties remain under the grip of powerful families and fail to pursue democratic practices to elect their leadership in the real sense. When political parties are not democratic how it can be expected that they would promote democracy and throw up the right leadership. Stunting democratic values is undermining the potential and strength of our nation. When a system is not fair and open to self-correction it undermines national institutions and breeds frustration in the society. One of the major impulses of Pakistan's younger generation is to look for opportunities and new avenues abroad as they feel that they would not get a fair deal in their country. More significantly, a weak leadership is unable to address the serious challenges the country is facing. Feeble civilian leadership leads to intervention and a...