The political chaos created by the sit-ins by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Dr Tahirul Qadri has begun to dent the national economy. The Pakistani rupees is continuing shedding its value against dollar while trade and business activities are also slowing down in the twin cities and elsewhere in the country. It is reported that the residents of the Islamabad capital territory and Rawalpindi are facing acute shortage of food items while the cost of available commodities are skyrocketing. In this situation, the people are the ultimate losers in the fight of political bulls.
As we have mentioned in earlier editorials that the element of tolerance is missing in the Pakistani politicians, every politician deems himself indispensable for the country and thinks only he has the ability to extricate the country out the quagmire of economic evils and social woes. The politicians only keep their personal interests supreme and they have nothing to do with the plight of common man.
The government on the other hand is just wasting time to negotiate with Khan and Qadri and looking toward the army or the United States to come to its rescue. The United States has supported Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and opposed the demand for his resignation. This kind of statement from a friendly country is actually an insult to the Pakistani nation. These kinds of statements lend currency to a popular view that the United States always tries to interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan. The statement also sends a wrong message to the Pakistani nation as if they are the members of a subservient nation which cannot do anything without approval from the United States. The statement also indicates a daunting fact that how Pakistani rulers are habitual in seeking help from the foreign countries when they face challenges to their authority back at home. The Pakistani rulers must wake up now and should behave and act like the members of a respectful nation. Asking for help from a foreign country means inviting others to interfere in our internal affairs. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should have taken exception to the US statement about political chaos in Pakistan no matter how much sincerity was shown in it.
The world is closely watching developments in Pakistan and our beloved politicians should now try to be mature and resolve the issues through talks and mutual understanding. There should be a win-win position for all the parties concerned. But it is yet to be seen if the politicians have capacity for this kind of agreement?
