Bursting at the seams: Can Pakistan live on? | The Opinion ...

The hat-trick of Pakistan Democratic move's (PDM) public rallies in Pakistan has proved one point past doubt: the Pakistan army has been brought into the domain of grassroots public debate as not ever earlier than. Three-time former top minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, now residing in exile within the UK, has accused the Pakistan army chief well-known Qamar Bajwa and the Inter-features Intelligence (ISI) Director-ordinary Faiz Hameed of engineering the ascent to energy of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan. He has as a consequence now not most effective exposed the uncanny function of the defense force establishment in operating the affairs of the executive however also publically unmasked the creepy persona of the defense force institution which, in accordance with Sharif, has developed into a 'state above the state'.

each one of the audio system at the PDM rallies has counseled the speech of Nawaz Sharif which, despite efforts with the aid of the latest executive to sabotage it an online blackout, have been broadcast live on the Gujranwala and Quetta rallies on Oct 16 and 25, respectively. The heaps who got here to hearken to their leaders did not buy accusations through the spin-medical doctors of the PTI govt that PDM became pursuing an anti-Pakistan, professional-India agenda.

Imran Khan has misplaced his credibility as a ruler. And rightly so. His election promise that he will fix the distinction of Pakistani people with the aid of no longer borrowing money from foreign international locations or banks fell flat on its face on the very next day of his election victory (July 26, 2018) when his handpicked finance minister Assad Omer instructed the media that they need to go to the IMF for an emergency loan. due to the fact that then Imran Khan has been globetrotting requesting fiscal support. in the first 12 months of his governance, his govt had gathered a complete of Rs. 7,509 billion of public debt. in response to the State bank of Pakistan, the total public debt on the end of the fiscal 12 months in June 2019 stood at Rs 31.786 trillion! Omer warned that the nation turned into close bankruptcy. (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/foreign/business/pakistan-listing-debt-amassed-in-first-yearof-imran-khans-time period/articleshow/71490655.cms?fro m=mdr) In November 2019, the State financial institution of Pakistan stunned the nation with the aid of revealing that all the way through the 13 months of Khan's government, the overall debt of Pakistan of 71 years became up by way of 35 per cent, adding Rs 10,000 billion to debt in the equal period. (https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/572666-pak-complete-debt-of-seventy one-years-up-via-35pc-in-pti-govt-s-13-months)

The mismanagement of the economy led to skyrocketing fees of virtually each merchandise of day by day necessity. youngsters, it became the 262 per cent start within the expense of 100 native and imported drug treatments that shocked the nation. These drugs protected those used for top blood power, glaucoma, and epilepsy, to deal with seizures during pregnancy, melanoma, and rabies. (https://www.geo.television/latest/309677-pakistan-govt-approves-as-an awful lot-as-262-hike-in-prices-of-well-nigh-a hundred-drugs) The price of greens and meat additionally saw a rise of 20 to 50 per cent on a weekly groundwork.

Exports were in steep decline as well in Pakistan and it turned into mentioned in January 2020 that the country's exports had declined by $61 million to $1.937 billion in comparison with the equal period in January 2019; hence, exports, in January 2020, confirmed a negative increase of three.four per cent. (https://income.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/02/07/exports-decline-with the aid of-61m-to-1-973-bn-in- january/) however the real bombshell become dropped when it became introduced that for the first time in sixty eight years, Pakistan's Gross national Product (GDP) had slipped into negative growth of 0.38 per cent and industrial sector showed a negative growth of 2.27 per cent in 2018-19. (https://mettisglobal.news/pakistans-gdp-to-display-negative-growth-of-0-38-after-68-years)

brought to the above misfortunes were the sugar and flour scandals that revealed billions of rupees of corruption by way of people that were shut friends of Imran Khan. The political witch hunt of the opposition events and curbs on print and broadcast media via the Imran Khan government and the leading ministers' stubbornness in resolving the political deadlock had been viewed as lack of political genius and seem to have played an instrumental position in the formation of the eleven-celebration alliance of PDM.

As Pakistan struggled to grapple with the financial free fall, its failure to galvanise overseas aid against India after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian charter resulted in its serious diplomatic isolation. now not simplest did Pakistan fail to demand a UN Human Rights Council session on the Kashmir challenge but the very proven fact that organization of Islamic group (OIC) also refused to take up the difficulty completely knocked out the Imran Khan executive within the ring of international diplomacy.

The cornerstone of Pakistan's overseas policy has been anti-India propaganda and when the world turned the other way and refused to purchase Pakistan's diplomatic commodity in line with hate-mongering against India, it now not simplest alienated the nation further but also had a devastating effect on the psychology of the widely wide-spread inhabitants. hence, in the entire PDM rallies, speakers have criticised Imran Khan for being liable for the so-known as 'Sakoot-e-Kashmir' (Fall of Kashmir).

meanwhile, China has grown weary of the China-Pakistan-financial-corridor (CPEC) as no work has been carried out on constructing the CPEC infrastructure when you consider that the Imran Khan executive got here to vigour. The Chairman of the CPEC Authority normal (retired)  Asim Saleem Bajwa has been accused of being concerned in billions of greenbacks of corruption and operating as a minimum 99 pizza franchises within the united states of america within the name of his family members. Opposition to CPEC from the locals within the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) has been becoming and Pakistan's attempts to merge GB in its territory have been met with conclusive opposition from all sections of society. The election due on Nov 15 in GB are considered as a strategic manoeuvre on behalf of Imran Khan to carry a PTI executive in vigour in GB. despite the fact, that probability looks far-fetched. With the presence of Pakistan americans's party

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in GB, who is running a marathon election campaign, the chance at most appropriate appears to be the formation of a coalition executive.

Protests in PoJK against dangerous street conditions, lack of fitness facilities and colleges and in opposition t price hike have become an everyday incidence. Insurgency in Baluchistan is gaining momentum with the Baloch freedom opponents gaining journey in guerrilla conflict tactics and astonishing the Pakistan army examine posts and convoys on pretty much a daily basis. in a similar fashion in Sindh rural and urban Sindh are quickly coming on the same page in opposition t the imperial extortion and land seize by using Pakistan. the most contemporary instance being the opposition Pakistan needed to face towards a presidential decree involving Pakistan Island development Authority that might convey the island of Indian Ocean in Sindh water territory beneath the federal control. On Oct 6, the provincial meeting of Sindh passed a decision that unanimously rejected the presidential ordinance.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province, Pashtun Tahafuz move (PTM) has turn into a drive that can't be neglected. it's traumatic an enquiry into the atrocities that the Pakistan army has committed right through the so-referred to as war on terror, killing lots of native innocent tribal americans.

In a nutshell, Pakistan is bursting at its seams. The query is – can Pakistan live to tell the tale as a doable nation-state? smartly, the reply to this query is dependent upon many factors. interior factors that would come to a decision the destiny of Pakistan consist of her distancing herself from both-nation conception it truly is the foundation of its most negative, India-hate narrative. Pakistan will even have to decisively reform its army and intelligence associations and bar them from any interference in public house, be it political, financial or social. All militia company concerns should be nationalised after which privatised.

Externally, Pakistan has to fix its ways with India by means of returning the occupied territories of PoJK and GB. It should stop sponsoring terrorism and featuring secure havens for foreign terrorists and dismantle its terror infrastructure including practicing camps and monetary information.

until the slogan of Maryam Nawaz, the vice chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) – 'Vote ko izzat do" (respect the vote) – is dependent as a governing principle of democracy in Pakistan, there could be extra chaos which may still be a reason behind subject for regional peace. therefore, it will be as much as the regional powers, large or small, to join palms within the superior hobbies of global peace and financial stability and assist indigenous freedom movements tear up the artificial state of Pakistan.

Amjad Ayub Mirzais an creator and a human rights activist from Mirpur in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He at the moment lives in exile in the UK.