Assessing the government’s interest in public issues and problems can be achieved through the legislative interest it has shown in a year. The legislation so far has been done to save the skin and wealth of the ruling class. The government of the 13-party alliance changed the NAB law to end all corruption cases against them, providing legal protection for embezzled money, disempowering institutions and taking all powers themselves. Now, not only is the constitution being violated to prolong power but the Supreme Court has also become a target of ridicule, dividing judges based on likes and dislikes, accepting decisions that benefit them and rejecting those that do not. This method cannot be ethical, moral, or in accordance with national principles. The Supreme Court has set a date for the Punjab Assembly elections, which the government has declared impractical, but elections will make their way. How long can they escape through this constitutional process? Due to the popularity of the PTI and Imran Khan, ruling parties are afraid of holding elections. In the current situation, they are not achieving success, so government officials and leaders are talking about putting an emergency and using other “medical treatments” to avoid the disease of elections. Meanwhile, the disease is spreading as fast as the situation changes.
Last year, the rains caused devastation in a large part of the country, and the effects have not yet subsided when once again, clouds have filled the national sky. There is a serious risk of damage to the wheat crop, but the rulers are indifferent.
In such situations, government machinery can play a vital role in bringing about improvement. Disciplined, well-trained, law-abiding and rule-following forces are capable of playing a critical role in times of crisis in any country. However, we have turned this force into personal servants by making them government employees instead of state employees. In the current situation, this force is itself confused and troubled, unable to understand what is happening and what the consequences will be. How will the situation improve? How will we escape from the current crisis? Every aspect of life is a victim of the worst possible decline, and no sign of improvement is visible. The rulers continue to take every serious crisis lightly and have turned the Constitution into a mere formality. How can the existence of the state be maintained in such a scenario? How can we relieve ourselves of the burden of debts when our leadership does not even have faith in themselves and every issue is resolved by taking more loans? Bangladesh separated from us years ago, but today its economy is strong due to the sincerity and honesty of its leadership. There was also a period of military rule there, but there was no change in its national policy. Our bureaucracy is deeply entrenched in its thinking, whether it follows its oath or the orders of the rulers, adheres to the constitution or the manifesto of the ruling political party. If the situation remains the same, it will not be possible to save the country from the quagmire of destruction, after which we will not need any enemy. The system of natural disasters is an essential part, but conscious nations make real efforts to control it before the birth of another crisis from within the crisis. Artificial and temporary measures do not end the crisis; their severity decreases temporarily, and after some time, the same crisis comes back with more intensity. Unfortunately, the Pakistani nation is the only nation that is repeatedly hit by crisis after crisis.
Isn’t it true that in times of crisis, the ruling class often avoids taking natural steps and closes their eyes, thinking that the storm has passed? Currently, the country is in a constitutional, democratic, parliamentary, and economic crisis, but inflation and unemployment are such crises that even the common citizen is affected. The ruling class is demonstrating an extreme lack of seriousness in this regard, which is causing the intensity of the crisis to increase instead of decreasing. This crisis is indicating a bigger crisis, which may be beyond the control of the national leadership. The leadership of the PML-N has always used crises to gain political advantage and popularity and to belittle their opponents. Even now, an attempt is being made to gain public support out of fear of Imran Khan’s popularity. In the past, politics was done in the name of saste Rotte and Sasta Aata, now free flour is being promoted with great seriousness. From the Chief Minister to all the ministers and the entire bureaucracy, nobody is doing anything else but flour. Every other day, duty rosters of officials are being changed to check flour centres as if the provincial government has no other issue to deal with.
Earlier, an announcement was made to provide free flour through the Benazir Income Support Program data , only to eligible and poor people. Now, flour is being provided to every citizen to shine the politics, so that they can have a glimpse of the Prime Minister’s image. So far, 14 people have lost their lives in trying to get free flour, and the provincial government is not ready to accept the figures. Prime Minister of Pakistan, in collaboration with the Punjab government, announced to provide 53 billion rupees for the free flour scheme. Now, there is talk of giving an additional 20 billion rupees, but the interesting thing is that the federal government had promised to provide seven billion first and then five billion, which has not been fulfilled yet. Thus, the burden has been put on the Punjab government. This scheme also became a political tool, and the flour mill owners, big dealers, middlemen, and traders were rewarded, who support the league government because they are given an open field to loot in the league era. Federal and provincial governments, bureaucrats, and local governments are busy distributing free flour, and other problems of the people are being ignored like a demon. Despite the uncontrollable inflation and other issues, the government is exerting all its efforts to distribute free flour to everyone. However, the public is helpless when it comes to buying essential items such as vegetables, lentils, rice, and ghee. Half of the country’s population has fallen below the poverty line, and the middle class is disappearing. Although people are getting free flour for bread, they are struggling to afford the butter to go with it.
