36 Points

By Shahid Rizvi

We heard with full attention the first speech of Mian Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is not a good orator but never mind. He was reading a manuscript comprising a few dozen of papers handed over to him by his aides.

The country being in such a crucial condition, we fully concentrated on each and every point to find out what solution he presents for the problems. We noted all the points one by one and at the end of his speech, the sum total was 36 points of status quo.

The next morning all the newspapers were full of news reports and commentaries praising the prime minister for his radical programs. But if you don’t believe the selected writings in the newspaper and the influence of the government’s PR and Press Information Department, the comments from the public were most disappointing. One remarked that he had voted for Nawaz Sharif believing his words that he would make the life of the common man easier, instead, he is asking for more and more sacrifices from the poor people of the country just in the same manner his predecessors have been practicing. Many other similar remarks were in the air.

The first point of his speech was the debt retirement scheme. We could not understand the logic behind it. With three options it is less than window dressing. Would it fill the gap of the balance of payments which is a constant recurring feature of our economy due to various constant reasons. Most responsive option in debt retirement scheme is the third one. It is a loan repayable by the government. And at what cost! We are not generating money through production. We are taking loans to repay the service charges. From where we will return the loans to the public – to be sure from another IMF loan. The hoarding of foreign exchange is no solution.

Unfortunately, Mian Nawaz Sharif has the approach of a trader and not that of an industrialist because of the way he has created his empire. One thing we are sure, the debt retirement scheme will end up, giving another empire to him.

In his speech he did not raise a single point about industrial and agricultural production of the country. No point about the farm tax, no point about utilising the labour force and industrial capacity for generating production. No explanation about he will reduce the prices of consumer items, simply by announcing that the prices will be reduced won’t do. The market law would not allow him to lower price. He must know it.

He said that he has refused to increase the electricity tariff and petrol prices  which were scheduled for the next one or two weeks. Earlier, he had assured the President that he would comply with the IMF agreements. Can one solve which statement is false. We could understand that the electricity tariff and petrol prices will be increased not within two weeks but after that.

Mian saheb has also increased the salary of the government employees by a raise of Rs 300 a month. A peanut compared to the increased cost of living. Would not this increase result in the increased cost of living as a part of inflation, and where from we will get it. We think it is the continuation of the ordinance by our President increasing EOBI Pension from Rs. 425 to Rs. 675 which has never been paid to the pensioners.

What are the other priorities of Mian Saheb!

He is very fond of constructing motorways. He is also very fold of yellow color. He promised to construct roads from farms to markets and fruit farms to airports. He visited the office of the National Highway Authority and ordered the release of Rs. 700 million for the Lahore-Islamabad highway. Yellow cabs and yellow tractors will ply on the road. He has also promised to provide yellow tube wells to the nation, soon the whole nation will be jaundiced!

Maybe we are wrong but the political scenario indications are very unhealthy. The composition and the ways the provincial assemblies and cabinets are reacting is a warning. The agenda of the parties in the provinces do not show strengthening of administrative lies with the federation. The law and order situation in Karachi is deteriorating and returning to the old days of killing, torture cells,  extortion, robbery, and car lifting. Punjab is now becoming a hostage to the terrorists. Moreover, the files for recording the President’s concerns have been opened at the President’s Secretariat. The poor masses can pray only!