AT the beginning of a new year, everyone thinks about things to do and not to do in the year ahead. I wish somehow nations could do that as well. Undue optimism is just as misplaced as undue pessimism is. Pakistan is a classic example of a country which continues to ignore lessons from its own history and that of the world at large. It is foolish to commit the same mistakes again and again in the strange hope of somehow getting a better outcome. That is nothing but foolishness.

After years of going round in circles, we find ourselves stuck rather than moving towards a target even at a slow pace. The best way to achieve progress and prosperity is through plans and decisions taken in the light of history. But that is precisely what we avoid so meticulously. As a result, we continue to face political vacuum, and a virtual collapse of state institutions. Will the year 2023 be any different? Your guess is as good as mine.

Abdul Qadeer Seelro
Larkana

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2023