Pakistan needs a new direction

The warning to Pakistan's ruling but squabbling politicians from the US Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Boucher, says much about the country's political decline just when there should have been consolidation.

Concluding his trip to Pakistan last Wednesday, Boucher urged Pakistan's ruling politicians to set aside their obsession with the future of President Pervez Musharraf and instead focus on "the problems Pakistani people face" such as "the danger of bombings, suicide bombers, rising food prices".

As expected, Pakistan's nationalists have seized the opportunity to criticise the US for once again interfering in Pakistan's internal affairs. And yet, Boucher's message simply states what is otherwise fast appearing as the conventional wisdom.

Four months after February's parliamentary elections produced a landslide victory against politicians loyal to Musharraf, the new government is yet to come up to popular expectations.

Managing popular hopes has become the most important political challenge at a time when Pakistan, like many other countries, is facing the brunt of a global economic slowdown.

Additionally, the woes of such countries have been exacerbated by the significant rise in global oil prices that have widened trade and budget deficits, and forced governments to brutally cut back on subsidies. Consequently, a sharp increase in inflation is indeed the natural outcome from such a situation.

Going forward, this situation is likely to get much worse before it gets better. Already, expectations are widespread of global oil prices reaching up to $200 a barrel -sharply up from the already high price of more than $140 a barrel.

The underlying problems which have pushed global oil prices to this historical high, are not going to be resolved any time soon. And, the gap between the demand and supply of oil, are going to dictate a long period of price increases.

Some of the most aggressive assessments of the oil price situation thus far state the obvious; oil prices are just not likely to go in to a retreat mode, having risen significantly.

Managing the fallout from this situation therefore raises three equally important challenges for the government.

Demonstrate

First, there has to be a genuine belt tightening by leaders to demonstrate to ordinary people that those in power are also being forced to sacrifice. Such a step is vital both for symbolic and real life reasons.

Symbolically, expenditure cuts in governments would demonstrate to ordinary people that they are just not alone in sacrificing during a difficult moment in the country's history. This is vital, simply to prove that a government in power is serious and determined in dealing with the problem at hand.

At the same time, there has to be a significant enough sacrifice to reduce expenditure, all for trimming the fat surrounding government expenditure. This is indeed vital as a first step to adjust to times of increasing distress and difficulty. For too long, governments have lived far beyond their means. But the moment has come for long overdue and much in-house cleaning to match the circumstances which prevail today.

Second, there has to be an almost revolutionary effort to redefine the ways in which national resources are managed.

Caught in the midst of Pakistan's present day political disunity, it is impossible to imagine that the government of the day could become an inspirer and leader in pushing ordinary people to undertake austerity so that they economise on the use of energy.

Similarly, there must also be a concerted effort in leading new national efforts to promote conservation of present day resources. This is an essential first step towards making certain that depletion of valuable national resources in the line of energy consumption, does not lead to more chaos as time goes by.

Finally, in order to give a new direction to Pakistan, the country's new ruling politicians must return to the legacy of rule of law which was once the source of pride for the country. The failure to secure rule of law has, however, compromised Pakistan's best interests in many ways. From a nearly defunct administrative system to weak enforcement of law, Pakistan stands in contrast to its own best traditions of the past.

The newly elected politicians could do well for themselves as well as for their country if they were to embark upon a new phase of nation building for promoting the common good, rather than expend their energy in political fights, which for many Pakistanis are just a sign of immaturity.

Farhan Bokhari is a Pakistan-based commentator who writes on political and economic matters.