Many People In Karachi Voted For PTI & MQM For Better Governance. Now They Feel Betrayed.

As I write this article, the finance ministry has expressed concerns over the drastic fall in exports despite currency devaluation. To make matters worse, sources within the ministry have also indicated that further devaluation is on the cards as the government has failed to meet its targets given by International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The austerity measures have put a hold on the development funds and since the formation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, double-digit inflation has pushed matters to the extent that a man in Karachi had to commit suicide as he could not afford warm clothes for his children.

I am not saying here that the crisis we are in is because of the prime minister or the PTI government, but what the people of Pakistan fail to understand is, contrary to its claims the PTI government was ill-prepared to take the charge of the country. The incompetence from Karachi to Kashmir is staggering vindication that the promised third option is as futile as the previous two.

In this time of crisis, Pak Sarzameen Party's Chief Mustafa Kamal has offered few solutions before the prime minister and the 'powers that be'. As a student of social sciences, I believe that in the contemporary situation, this is the best advice one can give for the progress and development of the country. Its true that our kitty is limited, and the times today demand that we remain confined to saving spree rather than focus on development projects. Hence, we are here left with one option and that is to spend our existing resources in a smart and efficient manner. The key measure is to have a serious crackdown against rising financial malpractices without any selective bias.

Its time to announce fresh local bodies election so that the powers currently centralised can be divided and be given to the man/woman on the street – but with a critical check. If this decentralization is not followed and the powers remain confined to the corridors of PM office and CM houses, no promised changes will materialize. Currently, all provincial governments are using the resources as per their wishes and whims. By all standards, this malpractice is not having a trickle down effect while corruption is at its peak.The decentralization mitigates corruption as its the people, the man on the street, who becomes the stakeholder.

Unfortunately, the current political elite are following the same madness of Nawaz and Zardari regimes. They have been given an ideal environment, they just have to work to better the economy and ensure political stability. Unfortunately, they are failing in both. The dividends of the successful security operations cannot be taken to the full unless there are visible improvements in governance.

Lastly, it will be unfair not to mention Karachi here, which gave 16 seats to the ruling party. Words fail to describe the betrayal of PTI and MQM to this city. All the promises and the big claims appear to be going down the drain. A visit in three months to Sindh by the prime minister is simply not enough nor a committee under MNA Asad Umar who admitted in his press conference that there is nothing to say.

It is time to walk the talk, Khan sahab. You have been given power on a platter, now prove yourself because up till now, you have been failing.