Pak's army role in governance hampering political, economic control by Imran Khan govt

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 2 : Leadership comes during times of national crises like the present coronavirus pandemic and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has failed to deliver as the country is reeling under high inflation including the role of the army in influencing governance and exercising power beyond the ambit of the constitution that is hampering political and economic control by the civilian government, according to Express Tribune.
The most disturbing feature of the political and economic crisis is that there are no solutions in sight or being discussed seriously in parliament or media to give confidence to the public, as noted by Express Tribune.
The hopes of change are cased in doubt that was built up through the speeches and statements of the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the ministers have come crashing down as inflation hits a record high and politics takes a turn for the worst.
Even the receipt of a few billion dollars from Saudi Arabia, China or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the form of loans is considered a boon for supposedly a country that justifiably prides itself in niche areas of security and information technologies.
The hold of the Unions or the policy of maintaining the vote bank at the cost of bleeding state enterprises is a sad reflection of the inability of Pakistan's successive governments in failing to take hard decisions in the larger interest of the state.
The government's package that provides a suitable compensation to those who have lost their jobs should serve the interest of the workers and open up avenues for reviving the industries through modernisation and technology upgrades. The private sector is doing relatively better but has limitations when it has to compete for exports in quality and price.
A serious approach toward changing the conditions of the people of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is a must, without Pakistan borders would be no different from that of the western neighbour as analyzed by Express Tribune.
Also, simultaneously political, economic and social measures are necessary to address the root cause of discontent and the emergence of militant and anti-state elements.
More significantly, the burden of policy formulation and fighting terrorism in Pakistan primarily rests with the military and the drummed-up national action plan has been largely ignored, as noted by Express Tribune.