PAKISTAN is in the grip of bad news. While much of it is fake because the detractors of Pakistan are at work, some of the bad news is also real. Decades of bad governance has shaken the confidence of the people in the rulers they elect or even in the system which brings them to power. The elite capture of the country has left the teeming majority wondering if this country can deliver even the basic amenities of life. A vast segment of the population is slipping below the poverty line. The rich are getting richer, the poor poorer. Society is also deeply polarised. All this bad news has created a sense of despondency.
How did we reach this sorry state? Foremost, we must recognise that whatever has happened is of our own doing. We don’t work hard enough to deserve the riches we aspire to. Our political governance has failed to rise to the expectations of the people. We spend more than we earn and evade taxes. Corruption is rampant. Moreover, for far too long, our rulers have looked for easy money from outside the country. All through the decades, we have preferred to leverage our strategic location rather than build our productive capacities.