What would be your manifesto in terms of:
a) improving the economy
b) improving law and order and dealing with corruption
c) foreign policy
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
http://www.ppp.org.pk/manifestos/2008.pdf
or PMLN Official | What do we want
They all say the same. The PPP one is detailed and more or less what I would have but over the past few years, the party has done EXACTLY OPPOSITE to each and everything contained in it.
In my opinion, ‘intent’ is required, not words.
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
What would be your manifesto in terms of:
a) improving the economy b) improving law and order and dealing with corruption c) foreign policy
You should have divided the second point in two. 'Improving law and order' is different from 'dealing with corruption'.
Of the four points mentioned, I would go with IMPROVING LAW AND ORDER.
To me, this is the biggest issue Pakistan is facing today. Everything else should have lower priority.
We can't improve the economy without improving law and order. Our foreign policy means nothing to the world if we remain a poor third world country. And corruption will get less as the economy gets better.
However, if there is anything else which I can think of besides law and order, then it is the power crisis. Even with present law and order, Pakistan still would have been in better shape if power crisis wasn't as dire as it is now.
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
^ there's no guarantee that with improvement of economy the corruption will go away. We can see the same in almost all third world countries, we don't need to go far just look towards the east, the 'shining India'.
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
For me the most important thing would be better economy, education, good governance etc. we cannot make other things hostage to one issue. India has faced multiple insurgencies but by improvement in their economy the situation there has improved. The war on terror cannot be fought in isolation, by pursuing the war with no opportunities for the people of the war ravaged areas, what do we expect them to do?
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
When the economy gets worse then inequality between haves and have-nots results in more corruption.
Recent empirical investigations have found a positive relationship between income inequality and sociopolitical instability.** Higher income inequality results in stronger incentives for the groups at the bottom of the distribution to engage in illegal or violent actions for material benefits or as a reaction to inequality**.
A lot of people consider corruption to be the root cause of current economic woes. But in reality, it is found that while corruption have some effect on economic growth (due to risks in creates), it is not the root cause of bad economy.
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
India has faced multiple insurgencies but by improvement in their economy the situation there has improved.
India has not faced any insurgency at such a large scale that Pakistan has faced. The Taliban insurgency has its roots in the very core of Pakistani society. This insurgency split the Pakistani society right from the middle. Average Pakistani was pro-Taliban only a few years ago. This can not be said about average Indian for any insurgency it faced.
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The war on terror cannot be fought in isolation, by pursuing the war with no opportunities for the people of the war ravaged areas, what do we expect them to do?
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The extremist insurgency we are facing has nothing to do with economic opportunities. If this insurgency is not the result of bad economy there then this insurgency can not be eliminated by only improving economic conditions in those areas either.
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
^ The thing is that at the moment the economy is bad, people are jobless even the educated ones, the situation in the conflict areas is even worse. These disenchanted youth can easily be misused by anyone, but with the improvement of economy at least some of these people will get a reason for their life.
Secondly the areas that the government cleared a few years ago with pomp are again falling into the hands of militants, mind you the army is still there. I am talking about Mohmand, Dir and Bajaur. In Mohmand during this year more than 100 schools have been destroyed, 12 soldiers were executed a couple of weeks ago in Bajaur, and some areas are again becoming no go areas. This points out towards the fact that the policy adopted by the government is not working, counter insurgency policy should include clear, hold and transfer to the civilian dispensation. The transfer should include a civilian setup to fill the void, educational as well as economic opportunities but that’s not happening hence the areas are again slipping towards militancy. How long will the military keep on carrying out operations in the same areas over and over again?
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
This is what happens when economy starts to pick up, and this needs to be done urgently in the militant infested areas (Fata, KP, Balochistan) and then other areas where there is rampant poverty like South Punjab and Interior Sindh.
Mega-uplift projects helping to defeat militancy in FATA - Central Asia Online
PESHAWAR – The menace of militancy and terrorism can be uprooted from the tribal areas by extending the network of development activities and mega-uplift projects in underdeveloped areas, Pakistani officials said September 6.
“The mega-dams and road projects are not opposed by the militants,” FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) Development Authority (FDA) Chief Executive Shah Sahib told Central Asia Online September 6. “Rather, they are also helping in executing these uplift projects, and those who had given up arms are actually working as labourers to build these dams, which would bring a green revolution.”
“There are many difficulties, but we are overcoming them with full zeal, and these uplift projects would go a long way in restoration of peace in the region,” he said.
The FDA kicked off two small dam projects costing Rs. 395m (US $4.2m) August 30, FDA General Manager (Technical) Muhammad Naseem Golra told Central Asia Online. They will provide drinking water and permanent irrigation in Mohmand Agency and Frontier Region Tank, he said.
Workers will finish Moto Shah Dam in Mohmand by June 2014 and Sheen Kach Dam in Tank by December 2013, he added. Another four small dams in the pipeline in the tribal areas, he said, adding that Dandy Dam in North Waziristan and Dargai Pal Dam in South Waziristan have begun operation.
Officials have identified 125 potential dam sites in FATA, of which 25 have been marked, he said. Work on 12 sites is likely to start once officials finish feasibility studies.
“These projects will not only bring a green revolution in the tribal areas but would also generate livelihood support activities and provide jobs to the local youth,” he added.
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
There is far less incentive for someone to fight when they have a life to lose. Economic improvement is an absolute priority, as is tax generation. A state that cannot collect taxes is severely limited in its capabilities. I would start with the top, forcing politicians and the upper class to pay taxes, with heavy fines and seizures if they fail to do so.
Having capital will help the state pay off its power debt. I read a paper from Pakistani professor where he states that the country moved from natural gas to oil for power generation when oil prices were low. When oil prices rose, people started using gas for their cars, and the power sector was forced to stay with oil, thus passing on the rising cost to consumers. Weaning the public off natural gas so that it may be used for power consumption would also be helpful.
For foreign policy, I would try to improve trade relations with India, and work with the US to end the drone strikes. Weaning Pakistan off foreign aid as quickly as possible would also be a priority.
The biggest issue I see is whether or not the army, or one of these politicians, will resort to violence to keep the status quo. For this reason, unfortunately, I think any leader who wants to make changes has to be willing to severely punish these thugs, bending the law a little bit if necessary, to reign them in.
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
Agreed that economy should be the first priority. But improvement in economy requires security and low risk.
No investor would be willing to invest in a country where extortion from businesses, kidnapping for ransom of businessmen, killings of foreign investors, and threats of blowing up things at random; are a norm.
Pakistan's policies for foreign investors are better than other South Asian countries. Yet we get so little foreign investment as compared to India.
The reason is obvious.
Re: If you had a political party in Pakistan right now
True. It's all a mixed bag. We just need a few terms where the PM is seen as responsible, one who can toe the line between working with NATO, and standing up to them. Accountability at the top will result in a change of culture. I do believe that Pakistan is at the edge of change, people have had enough. I read an article interviewing Mian Mansha and he said that he thinks all of the Pakistani's abroad will start to return in about 20 years as the situation improves. I truly hope that's the case. For that to happen, the politics has to change now, and the economic improvement, enough that people from Western countries start to consider moving back, will follow in the decades after.