Rely on Pakistani people instead of foreign loans, Pasban advises govt

Karachi: Pasban Democratic Party here Thursday advised the government to generate revenue by relying on the Pakistani people instead of depending on neck-breaking foreign loans. Pasban President Altaf Shakoor said the dilemma of the sitting government is that it relies on electables instead of Pakistani masses. He said the PTI government and its leadership have no roots in masses thus they cannot take brave decisions to steer Pakistan clear from the prevailing political and economic crisis. Altaf Shakoor said only a true leader of people can take revolutionary decisions as the masses fully backs and support him. He said electables are mostly corrupt turncoats and they are concerned only to their vested interests. A leader who relies on them would soon see his political downfall. He said if Imran Khan decided to rely on Pakistani masses instead of electables, this nation is still ready to give sacrifices, provided it get a true and genuine leader. Pasban President said the economic team of the PTI government lacks the capacity to think out of the box. This stereotype economic team has already served many past rulers and miserably failed every time. He said the same corrupt elite have been ruling Pakistan. He said only governments are changed here but the same slavish elite class run the shots in every regime, be it of PPP, PML-N or PTI. He said this corrupt elite class would never let Pakistan stand on its own two feet, and they would further tighten the economic nooses around the necks of our coming generations. He criticized the PTI government for keeping mum over its economic talks and deals with China or Malaysia or IMF. He asked why these matters are not being discussed in Parliament. He said why the government is afraid to keep these matters secret from the Pakistani masses. He said we have surrendered our precious resources, given huge concessions and carried out massive rupee devaluation without getting anything. He asked the rulers why they are chasing economic mirages and why they are not relying on their own masses and own resources to generate more revenue. He said dictated economic policies would never give economic freedom to Pakistan and Pakistanis. However, noted economist and Vice Chairman of Pasban Economic Affairs Division, Dr Shahida Wizarat said that it seems that the government of Pakistan has already agreed to all the harsh economic conditionalities, but the strategic conditionalities related to CPEC proved to be the sticking point. She said I don’t understand why the government finds it easy to approach bilateral and multilateral sources than using Pakistan’s own resources to raise revenues. She reminded that before Pakistan became sovereign, Britain as a colonial master used United India’s resources with impunity. Both the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the Second World War were financed from the Indian treasury. But even after proclaiming sovereignty we are still in the colonial mode as big powers and their companies continue to use our resources free of cost. She said Pakistan provided its air and land routes and air ports to NATO free of cost after 9/11, in a war in which the US spent $3 trillion during 2001- 08 according to Stiglitz and Bilmes. Moreover, very fine quality clay in Nagar Parker has been offered to a friendly country at zero royalty for 100 years. She said according to the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s enquiry on the issue, Nestle has been provided free water to the tune of 43.4bn liters over the last few years and land leased free of cost to it in Karachi. Dr Wizarat said these are only three examples, but there are plenty more. Other countries earn on their resources and make them available for the use of their populations, but the people of Pakistan have no right on their own resources, she regretted.She said that in spite of my repeatedly raising these issues no one pays any heed, which brings me to the conclusion that all these are not being offered for free. The ruling clique that has signed these agreements and others are earning hefty amounts in their private accounts abroad. But they have degraded Pakistan to a perpetual beggar running from pillar to post with a begging bowl. She advised the government to utilize internal revenue generations opportunities and see the alternate possibilities for costly foreign loans.