How would you deal with this situation if you were the chief executive of Pakistan right now?

[MultaniGuy]

Why would you want to put all eggs in one (China) basket?

It’s always prudent to diversify.

You posed a good question.

I would only do that, if China agrees to industrialize Pakistan completely, share industrial secrets, and to get rid of dual nationality.

Or
allow dual nationality with China.

But I am of the opinion that get rid of dual nationality and do a permanent alliance with China.

That would just be better. I wonder what other members think of this idea.

 

[Corruptistan]

Abolish all political parties, arrest all political leaders and banish all political dynasties while stripping them of their assets. Those assets were gained due to corruption anyway.

Afterwards clean up corruption from within the deep state and corruption as a whole which is the real challenge.

Our elite is a joke and so is the political system which is incredibly inefficient, corrupt etc.

If Pakistan does not undergo enormous changes, the elite must lead by an example here like in every country, we will collapse as a country. Pakistan might remain as Pakistan but only in name.

What we need is a complete RESET.

 

[sohail.ishaque]

Hang 10 Generals, 10 Chief Justice, 10 politicians and 10 bureaucrats

 

[MultaniGuy]

1) Implement one party system like China - One Muslim League political party
2) Get rid of dual nationality
3) Put all eggs in one basket with China or at least give preference to China in everything.

Putting all eggs in one basket strategy.

 

[VCheng]

I would resign and calll for fresh elections

K

Oh you poor victims of the Great Moron Con!

This discussion applies to whomever forms the next government as well, since the problems have a continuity all their own across tenures of government.

 

[KediKesenFare3]

Mass murder. Killing 1/3 of the population in every province including the establishment.

 

[Valar.]

Mass murder. Killing 1/3 of the population in every province including the establishment.

Reported for inciting violence.

 

[TechMan]

No extension of CAOS
Army under defense ministry
Get rid of Military Secretary shadowing PM
2 years limit for CAOS
DG ISI to be a civilian
Cut ISI wings to only focus on foreign threat
MI in charge of domestic threat
Cut military budget by 20%
Cut the size of army by 20%
Privatize Fauji commercial interests
Shift 111th Brigade to Nine Zero
Cut down the size of army cantonment in big cities

Make it a law so no 3 and 4 star general can leave Pakistan after retirement unless he has completed 3 or 5 years here.

Go after 2, 3 and 4 star generals and see how many have their wives and kids settled abroad with nationality.

CJCSC should be rotating from all three forces.

Make it a law that no army chief can meet any civilian under any circumstances and no media coverage will be provided to him. He should stick to the job given to him.

ISPR should be disbanded or their powers curtailed as it has just become personal mouth piece of army. It should not be allowed to comment on any civilian related matter, no obituaries, no eulogies, no congratulations message etc.

 

[313ghazi]

How would I deal with the situation?

Short term: As a country we are broke, we need to make more money. We need to spend within our means.

Long term: This country only functions to serve those with wealth and power. That needs to change. The day someone from the working/middle class can be head of state, CJP, COAS, Head of a media house etc - that day we can say Pakistan is working for the people of Pakistan. Right now the vast majority of people in power are those who's fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers were in positions of power and influence.

Short term, i'd cut government spending, cancel non essential projects, cut all taxes on fuel, prohibit the export of food products, apart from mangoes, thats too much zulm on our overseas brothers.

I'd also create technical colleges where we give people vocational training, as tailors, lorry drivers, bus drivers, carpenters, masons, welders, electricians, plumbers - have them qualified to an internationally recognised standard (particularly of that in the gulf countries). I'd then use these people to fill the skilled labour shortages in wealthier countries. The money they send back will lift families out of poverty and we need to be enabling that at a state level.

I'd also offer 5 years tax free to anyone setting up factories in Pakistan, domestic or overseas, if they are exporters, they can have 10 years.

I'd ban the export of raw goods from Pakistan. No more sugar, cotton etc. Either create and export value added goods, or get a job driving for food panda.

 

[maverick1977]

Massive imprisonment and plea deals for politicians, jarnails, bureaucrats, judges and journalists.. pay up for reduced sentences.
Secondly, federal system like france.
Electronic Voting.
Corruption will lead to life time imprisonment.
Assets for all politicians, jarnails and bureaucrats will be in pakistan till 5 years of retirement.

 

[Valar.]

That's called cynicism, you idiot.

Reported for name calling.

 

[Khan vilatey]

Oh you poor victims of the Great Moron Con!

This discussion applies to whomever forms the next government as well, since the problems have a continuity all their own across tenures of government.

any Goverment , monarchy , democracy, Communism requires the peoples mandate to rule. Each system has a self correcting mechanism, in democracies this system is called elections. In every system of Goverment the establishment requires a majority of the peoples support to function. In Pakistan for instance there is 125k police and rangers that can be deployed. Despite their best efforts they failed to stop Imran from coming to Islamabad. Imagine if the crowd turned violent. The police And rangers would be completely surrounded. The pressure Imran is putting on the pretending Goverment and it’s guarantor the establishment is overbearing. If Imran starts nationwide protests, shutdown 25% of Pakistans major cities the establishment will be on its knees. As a comparison In the 90s MQM was able to destabilize both Benazir and nawab Goverment by shutting off the economic pipeline that drives the system. If Imran does it at 25% big cities for one 3 days in a span of a week the Goverment is toast. The inherent instability arising from the surprise of handling multiple protest would be disastrous. I believe Imran will do just that.

k

 

[K_Bin_W]

Have you seen that famous movie "The Fall of Roman Empire" Reminds me of a quote from Stephen Boyd/Livius that fits the situation perfectly.

Senator : Gaius Mettelus Livius, the people are asking for you.

Livius : You would not find me very suitable, because my first official act would be to have you all crucified.

 

[Wood]

Very few people in this thread have attempted to address the most important conundrum. Where will Pakistan get the money to do anything that is suggested?

OP seems to favor reducing military expense and diverting the funds to ventures that can lead to economic growth. This seems possible on paper, but the idea fails to account for the internal politics involved in realizing it. The funds diverted to establishment are likely decided by the government in agreement with establishment itself. There is a natural conflict of interest. Also, Pakistan is locked in a military conflict with a much bigger country. This will mean that there is not much room for Pakistan to dial down its military spending anyway.

Others in this thread have suggested the typical idea of letting China provide funding for Pakistan. But in return for what?! China's interest in South Asia is only secondary. China's population center is in the far east. Chinese people are more culturally related to the countries in the pacific rim. While Pakistan is important for China in the realm of South Asian security interest, that is not a primary concern for the Chinese.

So what can Pakistan do? The perennial BoP crisis in Pakistan can be overcome if Pakistan can bring FDI into the country like other developing countries (with similar twin deficit problems) are able to.

This can be achieved through
a) Political stability
b) Good relations with developed countries who can invest (and not just give loans at commercial interest rates) to Pakistan.

These objectives are certainly possible. I believe the current Pakistani establishment aims to achieve them. They are only limited in their capacity to do so by some political elements in the country.

 

[Paitoo]

I know this sounds catch 22, but economic growth built on the shoulders of small and mid sized businesses is a must. Instability, regime change etc must become very costly for the economy, so much that the idea is not entertained. When the economy is controlled by a few oligarchs close to the government, they can weather the occasional storm that you are seeing right now.