ABDULLAH MUSTAFVI
Challenges waiting ahead for Pakistan are likely to worsen in near future both at internal and external fronts ! New government will be formally taking charge of the responsibilities in second week of August . Prior to that , sweet set of promises and claims have started pouring in from the would be team of future ruling regime . The most significant pack of promises cum claims came in the victory speech of PTI chairman ! It offered every thing which could attract the oppressed masses of Pakistan ; austerity , accountability , peaceful coexistence with neighbors , rule of law and corruption free efficient governance ! Hopes are high and concerns are closely attached too. Apparently , claims made are heavier than the actual strength of muscles and any laxity in deliverance against the expectations might damage the reputation of none other than PTI . Political rivals , most of those assembled in APC, are loudly predicting bad time in near future . As usual , such bitter predictions carry less of concern for the country and more of personal grudge . As far as national interests of Pakistan are concerned , undoubtedly , existing set of serious challenges will be turning more complicated . Failure of new ruling regime , in other way , will be a failure of state . This is the point where political grudges or biases must not be allowed to interfere with the statesmanship ! Our internal and external challenges are closely interlinked. Let’s have an objective view of deteriorated economy ! Investments are low and finances kept flowing abroad primarily due to decade long terrorism wave. Who can deny that strings of terrorism monster are being moved from across the border . No rocket science involved in comprehending the bitter fact that internal economic turmoil is getting deeper with every passing day due to coercive policies of our arch rival neighbor and so called ally USA. Tragic story of economic deterioration doesn’t end here ! Our super genius finance experts , sitting at the helm of affairs , persistently opted the artificial resuscitation of foreign debts . Claims made regarding economic stability during five years all of a sudden prove pack of lies once care takers cry out that treasury is empty . We can spend hours and hours to unearth that why our economy is sinking with out any pause ! Terrorism is one factor which is being undesirably supplemented by inefficiency of civil LEAs . Side by side , corruption coupled with sub standard governance and visionless economic foul play collectively spoils the whole structure of national economy . Our foreign policy handicaps do significantly contribute in worsening the situation . Joining hands with a global player obviously irritates the other rivals as it is happening in our case now-a- days . It is a big challenge to deal with such offensive players who openly threat by saying “Either you are with us or you are our enemy”. Balance in bi-lateral relations with one country to avoid retaliatory coercion from another influential foul player is the most lacking element in our foreign policy . Most obviously ,Pakistan is following a strange policy of having no well thought out foreign policy and credit of this dangerous handicap must be attributed to all the past rulers who had been playing with the fate of country during last three decades . A complicated game is in progress along side our borders ! Pakistan is very much in the game with out having true realization of the cost or consequences . Our re-alignment in the regional chess board is liable to bring along major disorders . Unfortunately ,neither we bothered preparing to deal with the disorders nor we are in a habit of fixing limits of cooperation with new partners . Out come of such negligent ways are now costing us nothing but our freedom and our existence . This country was not meant to serve the purposes of global players ; may it be USA or China or Russia. A land gifted with tremendous resources is begging petty amounts from international community to survive for few months . Why it has happened with Pakistan ? Answer to this question must be explored without any bias or grudge . We can not afford a polarized perspective over the survival issue . Likewise , such a wide scale deep rooted disorder can not be treated with partial or isolated zooming in on a particular trouble spot . Newly elected government will have to face multi dimensional challenges which can not be dealt with the orthodox artificial steps and temporary eye wash measures . A real change is not possible without replacing old rotten ways ! New government should do it, not only for her political survival, but for the sake of Pakistan!