Prime Minister Imran Khan wants no one in the country to go to bed hungry by distributing free food on city streets through mobile kitchens. While there is no doubt that the cause is noble, the motivation behind such a farfetched idea seems to be purely political in nature. Apart from the obvious logistical limitations of such an undertaking with less than ten food trucks operating in limited areas, there is the financial cost that the cash strapped government has presumably overlooked. The exclusion of the country’s most densely populated city Karachi and Quetta from the program raises the question as to whether this is a federal government project meant for all federating units, or just those where the PTI is in power? It does not bode well for the future of this latest initiative that similar philanthropic work, run through a public-private partnership like the Panahgahs and Langar Khanas have been largely unsuccessful and inefficient with unverified reports of misappropriation of funds to boot. Such initiatives have so far only been used to peddle a holier than thou image of the Prime Minister and his party through photographs and a liberal peppering of religiosity while distracting from more serious matters that require immediate attention.
Inflation for example, particularly prices of basic food items such as wheat, sugar, lentils and vegetables to name a few, have become practically unaffordable for a significant majority of society over the past two and a half years. Apart from bold statements threatening a crackdown against ‘mafias and hoarders’, tangible and effective action has not been taken to arrest the steadily rising prices. A third wave of the pandemic is ravaging through Punjab where the positivity rate and daily deaths have reached levels not seen during the first wave. The many challenges posed by the economy remain unaddressed and it seems no one is at the helm. Hafeez Sheikh, who replaced Asad Umar early on, was abruptly fired after losing his Senate seat election. Mere days later it was announced that Sheikh’s replacement Hammad Azhar was simply a placeholder and the search for a new Finance czar was on. It is high time PM Khan shifts his focus from impractical PR schemes towards using the remainder of his time in office to deliver on promises of a better and more prosperous Pakistan.
