Civilian supremacy

I am an American of Pakistani origin. I have been following developments on the economic front in Pakistan. It pains me to see that while the country’s economy is in a tailspin, politicians — from the ones in power to those who have been ousted — have such an ego that they cannot see the suffering of the people.
Companies are shutting down every day, exports are collapsing, and the relevant minister says that natural gas cannot be supplied to consumers as reserves are declining. None of this bothers the politicians. They live in large mansions, their relatives live in palatial houses, and they spend millions on luxury; millions from state funds raised with people’s taxes. How can these ‘leaders’ know the suffering of the middle class and the poor?
Pakistan has never had a government in its real sense. People moving in the background are mostly believed to take decisions and let the civilian government of the time take the fall when required. That being so, even if the current opposition gets back into power, the economy will not turn around for years.
Free dollars are a thing of the past. Our government in Washington will never give billions to Pakistan in grants as we have been doing since the 9/11 attacks. Pakistani politicians need to get together to make sure that the supremacy of the elected is above anything else. They should make real changes to the economy so that Pakistan may actually have an economy that is worth its name.
If the politicians would somehow stop screaming at each other, maybe they can actually achieve the real change. I am convinced that each of them loves Pakistan, and not one of them wants harm to their country. They just need to get over their personal grievances and look at the common cause.
If they cannot get over their personal egos, Pakistan has no future. I just hope they can still ensure civilian supremacy.
TARIQ I AHMAD
NEVADA, USA