The Current Situation of Pakistan
Pakistan's government is currently grappling to restore order within domestic politics, restore economic growth and shore up national security in this nuclear-armed South Asian nation. Pakistani army commands immense influence over domestic politics.
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| Photo by Aa Dil: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-high-rise-buildings-2863221/ |
Family bonds are strong in many Asian cultures and loyalty to one's immediate family is prioritized over other social relationships - including work. Nepotism is more widely tolerated here than in many other societies.
Economy
Pakistan's economy is stuck, leaving its government in severe financial distress. Plagued by political unrest, ineffective reforms, and an overburdened bureaucracy, revenue generation efforts are not keeping pace with debt servicing costs which consume nearly all its income.
Inflation is increasing dramatically; food prices have skyrocketed nearly 50 percent year-on-year and transport costs have more than doubled over the past year, while foreign currency reserves have been depleted and credit ratings decreased. COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine War and global oil price shocks all contributed to an economic slowdown; these issues would not have been so acute had they not been compounded by preexisting structural weaknesses that compound these difficulties.
Pakistan has not made enough progress in increasing tax revenues as a share of GDP and shifting the burden from imports to exports. Services, in particular, need growth and the government should promote this by increasing competition, offering incentives for foreign direct investment (FDI), and lowering barriers.
As part of its strategy to stimulate domestic demand and encourage investment in areas with weak domestic demand such as rural and less developed areas, such as those lacking adequate technology. Furthermore, incentives should be provided in areas where domestic demand is weak such as rural and less developed regions and in the steel industry, where technological limitations have held back output. Furthermore, companies should find it easier to hire staff without facing discrimination on grounds such as ethnicity or gender when doing so.
The economy must diversify, with particular attention paid to manufacturing high-value goods like automobiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals and engineering products. Investment should also be made in new technologies to improve production quality while sports must also be encouraged and city livability improved in order to entice younger people to work in service industries and create additional jobs.
Finally, they should strengthen the labor market by strengthening its education system. A strong education system will not only reduce unemployment but will equip young people with skills for success in business or technical fields. In addition to increasing college and university enrollments, investment should also be made in institutes that specialize in technical training for youths.
Social Issues
Family life in Pakistan is an integral component of everyday life, providing shelter and care to older individuals; supporting widows, never-married adults and the disabled during times of unemployment; helping during periods of unemployment; providing a sense of community and belonging; as well as loyalty towards all social relationships including business relations. Loyalty to family comes before other social relationships such as business ones - including nepotism which gives men an unfair advantage in business over women; honor killings and rape are cultural norms often perpetuated due to beliefs within Islam which encourage modesty while assigning males the responsibility for safeguarding weaker female relatives - this belief largely explained by an understanding that Islam encourages modesty while assigning males the responsibility for protecting weaker female relatives from harm.
Pakistan's economy has become overly dependent on foreign aid and its debt has reached unmanageable levels. Corruption is an enormously damaging problem in Pakistan and one of its main causes for its economic crisis.
To support faster economic growth and protect Pakistan's external position, government involvement needs to be reduced in economic affairs while wasteful expenditures need to be reduced and fiscal decentralization strengthened; otherwise it risks impoverishing future generations of citizens.
Education reform in this country is urgently required. Far too many children are forced to work to support their extended families, taking away precious childhood years while impeding their educational and professional goals. This injustice must end; therefore, steps must be taken against child labor for the good of all its citizens.
Pakistan has an atrocious human rights record. Journalists face threats and attacks, while authorities attempt to restrict media coverage of country issues. Furthermore, legal measures like disconnection may be utilized against any TV channel that does not adhere to their guidelines.
Pakistan remains plagued with accountability issues, evidenced by high-profile cases in 2018. The murders of Quratul Ain and Noor Mukkadam caused widespread protests; an eight-year-old boy charged with blasphemy after urinating in a Madrassah library was later cleared of charges; following this charge locals attacked and destroyed a Hindu temple before authorities restored it shortly thereafter; torture and enforced disappearance are used by law enforcement agencies; all in all, there have been few tangible improvements made over recent years in regards to accountability efforts by law enforcement.
What caused it?
Pakistan's leaders have historically prioritized building their own platforms of power over taking steps toward true democracy, leaving its population struggling and leaving government priorities failing to meet local needs.
For instance, this year's monsoon season resulted in the worst flooding ever experienced by Pakistan, leaving over one million homes marooned and millions of acres of crops underwater - damaging over 500 000 kilometres of roads as a result. Furthermore, families had to scramble desperately in an attempt to salvage what little food they could from their crops that survived flooding.
Corruption impedes citizen-oriented development. Transparency International ranks Tanzania as having one of the six most corrupt governments worldwide, contributing significantly to poverty and social instability while slowing its economic progress.
Politics have always been an issue in Pakistan; after independence, Ayub Khan implemented a system of centralization which relied heavily on bureaucrats and armies to regulate politics and social issues in Karachi; this failed to account for how diverse our nation's provinces and regions were each with unique cultures, traditions, and economic structures.
Following his 1977 coup, General Zia quickly established an Islamic regime. He banned political parties and used state media to shape Pakistani society into an Islamist mold; Bhutto and other leading PPP politicians were jailed or sent into exile while military and civil bureaucrats served as mainstays of his national government.
Centralization has long eroded democratic processes. Political parties remain fragmented, while public distrust of government grows ever deeper. Civil and human rights activists, journalists, as well as civil and human rights activists themselves have all come under attack; Asad Hasan was attacked last November - an attack which violated freedom of expression and human rights throughout Pakistan.
Solutions
With a population of 220 million and its strategic position at the crossroads of South, Central, and West Asia, Pakistan possesses immense economic potential. But to achieve that potential requires sustained effort fostering economic stability and sustainable growth - one way is by developing economic corridors - defined geographical areas equipped with modern transport and trade infrastructure as well as facilities and policies to promote economic activity within both Pakistan itself and its neighbors.
The current government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has made some progress in creating economic corridors, but much remains to be done. Ultimately, it must address the root causes of Pakistan's backwardness such as weak governance, political instability and corruption - specifically by shifting away from government-owned and operated industries that often feature corrupt practices while redirecting economic activities away from government-owned and operated ones - along with growing inequality due to economic slowdown and rising energy costs.
Other challenges facing Afghanistan include regional conflict and lack of social cohesion. Feuds among provinces, between military and civilian leadership and between diversity-intolerant extremist movements have only deepened since then, fuelled by an outdated interpretation of Islam as its role in world affairs and with fundamentalist sectarian movements resulting from such views.
Pakistan's fiscal situation is rapidly worsening. Foreign reserves have fallen precipitously to dangerously low levels - barely covering one month's imports - while external debt levels and volatile oil prices pose further threats that could force it into defaulting on international obligations.
An important challenge over the coming years will be finding solutions to Pakistani political and economic difficulties without disrupting economic stability. Pakistan's power elite must recognize that they are at an inflection point both politically and economically, moving beyond firefighting to implement reforms to strengthen future prospects for their country.
Restructuring the national debt could help ease these burdens and free up funds for imports. Raising taxes on gasoline and other commodities could also increase revenue streams.
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