The national consensus my chief of army brother is with Imran Khan. Your fellow military heads aided and abetted the takeover of our fatherland by crooks, liars and now Pakistan lies in ruins.
I don't know why you think anyone will listen now.
They have a “government” in place. Why not ask that government to carry out the economic measures they think need to be done. It’s because they know it will be very unpopular and the PDM doesn’t want to take the blame.
The only party willing to take the blame is PTI, if it is
allowed to come back into power. The made reforms the last time around, and took the blame, to get the nation back on track when they were last elected.
The public will understand if it is party of real comprehensive reforms, at the very least it will bring investors and get many unemployments people working again.
Most will welcome it if they know it’s a few years of pain for long term growth and stability.
At the very least a guarantee of a solid specific election date in a matter of months can build confidence in the public, and perhaps investors will come back, trying to pick up a bargain, sensing growth with a new IK government is around the corner. In the mean time a caretaker government of only 90 days can carry out the reforms the IMF demands, to get the loans to tide the nation over till the people make their choice in a general election.
A PTI government can also better rally the people of the nation against the threat of terrorism, because one thing IK won’t support are foreign bases in Pakistan. The change this time around is appeasement of the TTP will be off the table.
When the people of the western provinces and of the people Afghanistan know the government in Islamabad won’t allow foreign troops in Pakistan, they will be better able build a strategy against the militants.
The militants are ethno-nationalist and smugglers by and large. IK and PTI held a conference to try to raise funds for Afghanistan, even hosting a historic OIC meeting to address the Afghans plight.
The terrorism problem has to be solved by cutting off all the perceived grievances and dealing with those left over, firmly once and for all. Basically threading the needle; getting the Afghans international recognition in exchange for human/civil rights guarantees, building up the Pakistani and Afghan economy to allow people to not have to rely on smuggling for their best way to make money, and freedom of movement for Afghans including possibly birth right citizenship to afghans born in Pakistan, which IK considered. The upside is potentially a growth engine of raw materials for the Pakistani industry and a potentially growing market for Pakistani goods in Afghanistan, aka another way for Pakistan to grow the economy.
So allowing IK through free and fair elections with at least a 2/3 majority mandate he has, is the only way to make the real reforms that need to be done to
reset the country once and for all (starting with implementing a property tax so people invest in export earning industries and no longer into non-productive real estate. Also so the rich pay their fair share. Btw if reforms aren’t done, that’s what may have to happen anyway to pay back the loans, and for not real reforms to show for it), and end this tragedy.
Btw, the IMF expects real changes in a number of days in order to disperse the funds. With reserves under $6 billion, we don’t have much time left and the PDM doesn’t look like it has any motivation to do anything.
