The very notion that the incumbent political class is equipped to handle the severity of the prevailing economic crisis is indeed a sweet pill for citizens to swallow. However, this could not be far from the truth. It is a matter of great concern that there is an inability to do any substantial work for the sake of progress and prosperity. Agriculture, education and healthcare — the three pillars that lead to socio-economic development — have long remained neglected. Covid-19 has shown that in case of an emergency, it is extremely difficult for these sectors to cope, which could eventually result in a complete collapse.
The degradation of the housing stock is currently the most visible indicator of the population’s well-being. Pakistan has witnessed an erosion of property title and civic rights, under whichever jurisdiction plaintiffs have wished to contest. How has such immaturity remained persistent under practitioners of the constitution? It may well derive from a shared principle amongst many of the political class that the people of Pakistan are “servants” of the state and they the “rulers”.
Karachi was deemed as a city having national importance, a city that kept Pakistan functioning. Unfortunately, neither the federal nor the provincial government have made substantial progress in improving the standard of living of the residents of this tattered city. There has long been a willingness by the political heavyweights in Sindh to forgo the required work, which has in turn caused the people of Karachi to become averse to bringing investment within the regulatory purview of the provincial administration. This, having been the case for over a decade, has presented a singular issue with regard to the functioning of Karachi: With the welfare of the nation in question, will Karachi ever see a time when there is no corruption?
