Pakistani people suffer from elite greed

03.June

With a massive population of over 200 million, Pakistan is on the brink of an economic collapse that would have devastating consequences for the many people suffering from the country’s growing disparities.

The new government, which took office following the dramatic events last month, has chosen the same old proven ways to further burden the public with higher fuel costs to satisfy the country’s international lenders. Pakistan has been under the watchful eye of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for debt servicing and revenue collection for as long as anyone can remember – and one wonders why the country has not been able to fly on its own given its immense potential.

There is something terribly wrong with the governance and administration of taxes, given that a third of the revenue collected each year is used to interest payments to foreign lenders rather than providing the population with health, education and food.

It is true that on the global stage, fuel prices are increasing everywhere, which also affects populations in rich countries. But the nefarious oligarchy of military leaders, politicians and businessmen in Pakistan has been cleverly exerting the economic pressure of these burdens on the poor masses for too long. Much of industry, agriculture and the public sector economy is struggling with these three groups, who care little about fair play or the fundamental principles of humanity. Labor laws, labor rights and minimum wages go largely unheeded by the public or private sector, but when it comes to raising taxes and prices, implementation is ensured quickly.

A 17 percent hike in fuel prices, without an increase in wages, could simply crush middle and lower class citizens economically, thereby affecting millions of Pakistanis.

This is not just a topic for businessmen to discuss, as it affects the lives of every woman and child in every small village, town or city. Over the past few years, as this crisis has brewed due to appalling economic policies, the country’s political, feudal, and military elites have chosen to limit their efforts to the blame game rather than seeking practical and lasting solutions.

In view of the upcoming elections, the elite seems to be playing with the emotions of the people by promising quick solutions or blaming the outside world. But what can the people do? There is virtually no platform available for them to seek justice, hold those in power to account and make them pay for their exploitation of national wealth over the past decades. Major politicians and military figures have commercial, industrial and agricultural interests. The ordinary citizen has neither the right nor the authority to ask questions – they are only matters for the elite to rule over.

Pakistan’s elite has transformed the country into an exploitation factory where ordinary people die working hard to survive or seek to escape through other dangerous routes. This elite is the main reason why democratic principles have not taken root in the country and why extremism and poverty is endemic.

photo by Steve Rybka