THOUGH the nation failed to achieve much-needed stability in the year just concluded, largely due to a controversial election and the associated political dissonance, the dawn of 2025 brings with it the hope that new opportunities can be seized to adopt a more constructive path.
There was much to bemoan in 2024: political discord; institutional atrophy; rising terrorism; lack of dynamic economic growth; a crackdown on the internet; multiple climate challenges, as well as the resurgence of polio. Yet it can be argued that all these issues are interlinked, and the key to addressing them is political stability and good governance undergirded by an unhindered democratic process. Without these key elements, the nation will continue to lurch from crisis to crisis, year after year.
Many had hoped that the 2024 general elections would end the three-way political deadlock between the PML-N and its allies, the PTI and the establishment. Yet this was not to be, as the Feb 8 polls — widely seen as unfair and non-transparent — have only exacerbated Pakistan’s political crisis.
But there is some hope that the impasse can be resolved democratically, as the PTI and government parties have started to talk. Yet unless these parleys arrive at a conclusion that prioritises the welfare of the people, and strengthens the constitutional order, instead of further weakening it, we may be back to square one.
The need to tackle economic problems is just as critical as resolving the political stalemate, as both are complementary. Without a political arrangement that emphasises stability and democratic continuity, long-term economic growth will remain a mirage, and Pakistan will not be able to break out of its debilitating debt trap. While back-breaking inflation levels may have come down, the common Pakistani is still struggling to make ends meet. Growth, meanwhile, is slow. A new economic order is needed that taxes the untaxed, protects the weak, focuses on growth and job creation, and stresses financial self-sufficiency over handouts.
Among the other major challenges facing Pakistan is terrorism, as deadly militant attacks spiked considerably in 2024. Defeating the ogre of terrorism requires a united effort with buy-in from all political and security stakeholders. Moreover, the choking smog of the past few years, as well as searing heatwaves and destructive floods, require the ruling class to address climate change with solid policies, not just promises.
Equally, there is a need to tackle the explosion in polio cases with the alacrity it deserves. But all these matters — security, health, climate adaptation and others — can only be dealt with when the political class stops bickering, and focuses on tackling the actual issues of the people. Meanwhile, in order to allow civilian rule to succeed, it is essential that other institutions stay within their constitutional domains.
Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2025