By: Asim Nawaz Abbasi
Naya (New) Pakistan a slogan which captivated the masses and millions voted to have Imran Khan in power are now having doubts on their choice after two years. The promised change is nowhere in sight and relief as projected is believed to be many light years away.
Imran Khan prior to taking the office of Prime Minister had words that were like double edge sword cutting both Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan Peoples Party. He was not in the hot seat and his words were having weight as he spoke for the people. Public was mesmerized by the audacity of his vision and dreams and he took the masses to a quicksand where everything ended up sinking.
A decade time in slicing the governments of PML and PPP, he won the hearts of millions with his oratory skills which at present still stands second to none.
Before going into what he promised after taking the podium as Prime Minister, many including me believe that he made the biggest compromise of his political struggle even before coming to power and that was the politics of electable. Contrary to build Naya Pakistan with a fresh and young team he opted to go for elections with the same faces the nation was seeing for years and years.
The list of few promises Imran Khan made before taking the office which moved the masses who were tired of corrupt and tested politicians include 10 million jobs, 5 million houses, speedy justice, return of the looted wealth etc.
This scribe will stick to four as others are far-fetched dreams which will take many light years. The aforementioned are likely to be completed only God knows when.
Millions await the rise of new dawn in Pakistan which died as the great Quaid Muhammad Ali Jinnah closed his eyes the year after the inception of Pakistan.
The United Nation which is believed to be highest forum and has many research bodies giving their reports on member countries. The UN in its comparison has drawn Pakistan with poorest of the poor countries and Pakistan in the past has been giving aid to many a countries how now play a major role in global economy and politics.
Pakistan with four weathers has been marred by incompetency and mismanagement from day one and successive governments have done nothing for the masses who to-date have fate which is with disease and hunger.
Water the lifeline is a luxury which is denied to over 80 per cent of the population and UN can be checked for cross referencing.
Coming to the promises one after the other 10 millions are jobless and the promised jobs advertised fleece away the depleted resources of the youth which in the end after many attempts in finding work resort to target killing and violence. The fee that is taken goes where no one has the answer and the drafts that are attached with applications are used in perks for the people who sit in the office and laugh at the plight of the candidates who do gate and window crashing for the forms.
Five million houses to be built when and for whom is the question every other Pakistani ask from the other. Monsoon in the recent past has displaced how many the actual figure will never be shared as census done in the past is still contested. How many actually live in Pakistan is a guess work made by the stat wizards who always give fudge figures.
The speedy justice is but a joke and the example is the recent Gujjarpura case and many a rape cases in a single day with no justice in sight. Justice is seen is written in the book and the book is stolen from Pakistan.
The return of looted wealth is a lollypop given to masses who took it every time due to hunger as they see the lollypop to ease the hunger pain which infect and results in cancerous ulcers and millions fall down from the poverty line.
Welcome to Naya Pakistan.
The writer is editor at The Dayspring and Islamabad based social activist and policy expert, he is also a Global Shaper at World Economic Forum. He tweets @AsimNawazAbbasi