HE does not have the gumption to resign let alone commit hara-kiri. One of our government’s most verbose loose cannons who excels in everything except the task entrusted actually grows in size with every continuing train tragedy.

It is a sad commentary on Pakistan that the only two ‘crimes’ that are pursued to the over extent of the law are ‘blasphemy’ and simply hallucinating about why, 72 years later, Pakistan remains a basket case. Our — misguided — clergy determine the path we are forced to take.

Pakistan is beset with myriad problems. Population is growing exponentially and swamps out any and all attempts for progress. Population volume is directly related to health, education and social development, primary responsibilities of any state.

Sadly, Pakistan remains, I believe quite deliberately because of our short-term and warped thinking, almost at the bottom of the Human Development Index. Children are produced, unwanted and uncaringly, most ekeing out miserable, stunted lives if not abused. Corruption continues, deviously and more in Naya Pakistan, eating away at our vitals and resources.

The law exists solely for the powerful and elites or to seemingly settle political scores. The just concluded sit-in and its boisterously irreverent precursor well demonstrate we have millions of essentially useless and unemployable people happy to loiter for money and free meals. The destruction of Allah’s creations and bounties are quite acceptable to our population. No blasphemy seeking murderous mobs can be generated to tackle these aberrations.

So long as the government’s myopic focus remains on rabble rousing rhetoric and ignores the essential issues that beset Pakistan we will keep rushing backwards. Each generation is more disunited, faithless, and totally undisciplined, than the previous. If the prime minister can tackle these grim realities on a war-footing, Pakistan may have a fleeting hope.

Dr Mervyn Hosein
Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019