by Irfan Mahar 1 November 2022
The current political instability in Pakistan portrays the real picture of a game of throne among the political parties of the country. Pakistan has faced devastating monsoon rains and floods in which millions of people have lost their homes, animals, crops, and other precious valuables. Devastating and dangerous floods have washed away roads, homes, and crops across the country. The estimated flood damage stands at $30 to $35 billion in a social, economic, and infrastructural loss that has made the lives of people much more difficult across the country. Millions of people have become homeless and compelled to live in tents, on roads, and in other places with their families where they do not have meals even for one time. They have been sufferings from one of the most difficult times and are wrapped in deadly and dangerous diseases. One-third of the country is underwater. Instead of fully committed to providing urgent shelter and food to the flood affectees, the federal and provincial governments are busy with the politics of grabbing the throne. When people are in such deep sorrow and misery, the greed of politicians is increasing because they cannot see beyond themselves or think beyond their vested interests.
Seeing the plight of the Pakistani people in the wake of the deadly floods, the international community also stepped forward and pledged aid. The United Nations came forward to help Pakistan in its flood relief program and made an appeal of $160m to its members. Moreover, there are many chances of corruption and vested interest of politicians, bureaucrats, and other officials in aid and relief money pledged by international and national forums. Moreover, the history of Pakistan is evident that many such funds and aids for the affectees were used to add to the wealth of those assigned the duty for their distribution. Because many politicians, government officials, and judges are morally, socially, politically, economically, and religiously corrupt, lack a sense of humanity and are unable and inefficient to look beyond their interests. Since the dishonesty and insincerity of these people are well-known and boundless. Therefore, there is much chance that this time also, funds will not be used properly and transparently for flood affectees rather, they will do massive corruption in it.
The politicians and political parties of the country, particularly Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf (PTI), which former Prime Minister Imran Khan leads, are busy with dirty politics of getting the rule of the country. One can understand from the fact that when people of Pakistan are dying because of starvation, diseases, and accidents, the political parties are engaged in doing jalsas, conferences, and dharnas in which they are engaged in a blame game against each other. Imran Khan almost does jalsa on daily bases in which he spends millions of rupees and talks about the corruption and bad conduct of the federal government and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). He does not even care and talk about the difficulties and sufferings of the people who have become homeless and facing difficulties and disaster
due to current floods.
The political parties in Pakistan are wrapped in the politics of interests at such a level that they don’t care about the peace, development, progress, and betterment of the country. “Not only this, but when rations were given out to the people in the flood-affected regions of Sindh, Baluchistan, and Punjab, the drive looked more of a photo-shooting session of the politicians than an actual relief program”. Pakistan has long been considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world. Despite a history of intense floods, the country was ill-prepared for this year’s monsoon season. It clearly shows the inefficiency, inability, ignorance, carelessness, and lack of interest of concerned political and government officials because they always remain busy creating and discovering the latest, new and different ways of corruption and escaping from their responsibilities and duties. They remain busy consolidating their power and self-interests through illogical, illegal, and immoral methods that have become norms in Pakistani society.
Moreover, Pakistan has faced multiple social, economic, political, and religious problems, such as inflation reaching untenable highs and foreign currency reserves at dangerously low levels. The whole world is in shock and deep sorrow, except for most of the so-called democratic parties and politicians, judiciary, and bureaucracy of Pakistan. Since the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan’s government, headlines and political energy in the country have been completely dominated by political infighting, machinations within the governing coalition, and tussles with the military and judiciary. The continued political crisis among political parties creates hindrances to the overall flood response and distracts from the relief efforts. In a catastrophic situation, the political game of interests is an unforgivable and punishable act in the country. In a situation where vast tracts of land have been rendered useless by the floods, livestock heads wiped out, houses swept away, crops destroyed, and roads uprooted, people are in dire need of instant relief, not dirty politics. The current political instability portrays that all political parties are focused on playing the blame game against each other to capture the throne instead of learning from the past, helping the flood-affected people, and preparing for the upcoming monsoon season. Major political parties of the country are not ready to sit together at negotiating table and discuss the climate change, security, and economic challenges of the country as upcoming threats could be avoided.
The writer is Ph.D. Scholar at the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan.